Trump is running out of time to make his deals

President Trump still touts himself as the dealmaker in chief, the business maven with the unique acumen to bend lesser powers to his will and restore American prestige on the world stage. But in his time in office, he has served primarily as the dealbreaker in chief, working to dismantle the diplomatic work of his predecessors, unravel historic nonproliferation and climate accords, and disrupt key institutions and alliances that underpin the international order.

As Trump enters the final year of his term, his long-promised pacts are nowhere in sight.

The supposed “deal of the century” — a lasting solution to the intractable crisis between Israelis and Palestinians — remains under wraps and may never come to fruition. On the prospects of a trade deal with China, Trump was at his most pessimistic in remarks last week, suggesting that nothing concrete may happen until after the 2020 election. Even his administration’s opening with North Korea, perhaps the most eye-catching feat of Trumpian diplomacy, looks like it may pay little dividend.