re: #267 Backwoods_Sleuth

Reading through the Philip Bump piece Kyle Griffin tweeted, he refers to an interview with Trump where he is asked about the Federal Budget Deficit, and answers with Trade Deficit. Bump says this suggests Trump doesn’t know how the Federal Budget Deficit works - which is likely true enough - but to me it suggests something deeper: Trump sees countries as monolithic units. He rolls the government, the economy including all the businesses, and the people all into one. This is why he says things like “When Mexico sends people”, or that Mexico will pay for the wall with a reduced trade deficit.

Here, he says that reducing the TRADE deficit will decrease the BUDGET deficit, as it America has but a single pot of money, and trade imbalances take money out of EVERYTHING.

Also note he thinks we (the US) have fixed the North Korea problem because he and KJU exchange nice letters. NK is still building nukes, and still building missiles - which was the main problem - but because he and KJU can smile and gladhand, all is well.