Donald Trump’s recent pivot away from suggesting a fee for regional countries in favor of them investing in the U.S. under the guise of “transit protection” is a classic example of political sleight of hand. While Trump paints this as a savvy diplomatic maneuver, the mainstream media—looking to undermine his every word—has exploited the narrative to cast this shift in a nefarious light.

Networks like CNN bend over backward to portray Trump’s decisions as haphazard and self-serving, perpetuating a narrative that he cannot form coherent policies. They’d rather keep the “buffoon” lens focused on him instead of looking into the substantive economic implications of foreign investment and national security. Meanwhile, Fox News, ostensibly in Trump’s corner, still manages to filter his statements through a lens of skepticism over credibility rather than focusing on potential outcomes. Are they merely payday cheerleaders or genuine supporters of economic revival?

So, what is it? Is this transformation about smart deals and a bold new strategy or just another Trumpian quirk? You’ll hear plenty of sanitized chatter from the mainstream about how convoluted this is, but let’s drop the pretense. Perhaps the complexity is what gets them their ratings, not the honest evaluation of a pragmatic approach to international relations. The truth is, despite partisan spin, this could be a uniquely opportunistic phase for our economy—which, let’s admit, some may find hard to accept.