In 2016, Donald Trump won the US presidential election thanks to the industrial Rust Belt states. His protectionist message was even more appealing at that time as the industrial sector was in recession, with attendant job losses. In some of these swing states, voters may have wanted to punish the Democrat administration. Industrial activity recovered in 2017 and 2018, but is experiencing difficulties again. The trade war with China is apparently not that easy to win, and there is no broad move to repatriate industrial jobs.