Katherine Tai's quiet withdrawal from the free trade era.
Illustration by Luis Grañena
In March 2023, President Joe Biden’s trade representative, Katherine Tai, was testifying before Ways and Means, a powerful congressional committee she once worked on, when a lawmaker lobbed a backhanded compliment.
“I think you’re too nice a person to be in the job you’re in,” said Rep. Greg Murphy, a North Carolina Republican. “Negotiators are usually very, very tough and sometimes mean people — they aren’t nice people like you are.”
U.S. Trade Rep
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