[Hoot Gibson]

Making a major policy announcement like imposing stiffer tariffs on our trading partners on one day and then announcing that some countries may be exempted from the tariffs within two days, in response to widespread criticism does not make Trump appear tough. In fact, it makes him look weak.

Also, announcing that the U.S. will be working with China to reduce our trade deficit by ONE billion dollars on Twitter only reenforces that image. A one billion dollar reduction in our trade deficit with China would be a reduction of about 0.30%. At that rate, our trade with China will be balanced in only three centuries.

After everybody not named Trump realized how ridiculous his tweet was, his staff scampered out to explain that Trump meant to tweet $100 billion. I hope that the next POTUS will have sense enough not too concerned foreign policy on Twitter.
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