Fareed Zakaria: Trump sells America short Dear Donald Trump: China, Japan and Mexico are not "killing us" By Fareed Zakaria, Thursday, September 17, 2015 Donald Trump's presidential bid is centered on the promise of his personal talents. He says he's the "most successful person ever to run for the presidency, by far." (George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower, sit down!) But if there is an idea animating his candidacy, it is that the United States is being badly beaten by its economic competitors. In his speech on foreign policy this week, Trump explained that America is being bested by countries such as China, Japan and Mexico because their leaders are "smarter, more cunning and sharper than our leaders." "They're killing us," he often says.