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Article snippet: MORE has imperiled his revised North American trade deal with two surprise decisions meant to increase pressure on Congress and the Mexican government. Trump ignited bipartisan backlash Thursday night when he said he would impose tariffs on all imports from Mexico if the country could not stop the flow of migrants into U.S. over the southern border. The shocking announcement came hours after his top trade negotiator angered House Democrats by starting the clock on congressional confirmation of an updated version of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Trump's Thursday night power plays have two apparent goals: to speed up approval of the new NAFTA, and to crack down on rising border crossings into the U.S. But his move to tie trade negotiations to a bitter dispute over immigration enraged lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, raising the odds that the new NAFTA will die on Capitol Hill. "Trade policy and border security are separate issues. This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent," said Sen. MORE (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, in a Thursday statement. “Following through on this threat would seriously jeopardize passage of [the deal], a central campaign pledge of President Trump’s and what could be a big victory for the country.” Trump’s new strategy reflects the struggle to advance his trade and immigration agendas. With the presidential primaries less than a year away, the window is b... Link to the full article to read more