---
title: "What do Americans really think about the U.S.-EU trade tiff?"
description: "Special to the Washington Post Former British prime minister Harold Macmillan once trenchantly observed that: “Jaw, jaw is better than war, war.” The announcement on July 25 by President Trump and European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker that the United States and the European Union would work together to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers was a tacit acknowledgment of […]"
date: "2018-07-30"
authors:
  - name: "Bruce Stokes"
    job_title: "Former Director, Global Economic Attitudes"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/bruce-stokes/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2018/07/30/what-do-americans-really-think-about-the-u-s-eu-trade-tiff/"
categories:
  - "European Union"
  - "Global Economy & Trade"
  - "Global Trade"
---

# What do Americans really think about the U.S.-EU trade tiff?

*Special to [the Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/07/30/what-do-americans-really-think-about-the-u-s-e-u-trade-tiff/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e3e5b1248868&wpisrc=nl_cage&wpmm=1)*

Former British prime minister [Harold Macmillan](https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/quotes/quotes-falsely-attributed/) once trenchantly observed that: “Jaw, jaw is better than war, war.” The [announcement](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/text-of-joint-us-eu-statement-on-trade-2018-07-25) on July 25 by President Trump and European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker that the United States and the European Union would work together to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers was a tacit acknowledgment of Macmillan’s wisdom.

What do Americans really think about tariffs and trade issues? Trump’s willingness to talk rather than force a confrontation with the EU may, in part, reflect the fact that a substantial segment of the American public does not support his anti-EU statements and actions on trade. Even a president who loves provocative statements may not be able to ignore public opinion.

*Read more at [the Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/07/30/what-do-americans-really-think-about-the-u-s-e-u-trade-tiff/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e3e5b1248868&wpisrc=nl_cage&wpmm=1)*