It wouldn’t have cost Trump anything to show a clear intent to deter in a strategically crucial moment; it wouldn’t even have undermined his efforts in Ukraine.
[I]n a virtual meeting with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group to discuss ... aid and the allies’ intentions, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s absence was striking.
U.S. companies, importers and retailers will bear the initial costs which most economists expect to filter through the supply chain as a cost-push inflation.