> All the whole milk workers, garment workers, furniture workers were forgotten and left behind.

This is valid point but there is a catch.

Economic growth and progress happens when countries are developing and moving up in the value chain. Developed economies are constantly moving towards high-tech and less labor incentive work. China is still industrial economy. US has moved into postindustrial economy. US manufacturing will decline despite trade wars. Manufacturing work will decline even more than GDP share of manufacturing.

When low productivity work (milk, garment, furniture workers) moves to China it allows redirecting investments and resources to higher value added products.

If these low productivity workers would be zombie/robots, companies would just write them off and recycle them into trash and compost - or sell them to China. But they are citizens and they vote. In other words, we have a political problem.

Possible solutions:

* Use tariffs to protect workers in low productivity work. This moves economic resources in the US to less competitive industries. Over decades, US falls behind other developed countries because it wants to protect industries that developing countries have.

* Solve the actual political problem directly. US citizens not earning living wages with skills they have.