Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Donald Trump's Unusual Plan to Lower the National Debt: Sell Off 19 Trillion In Government Assets
NBC News ^ | 4 hours ago | by ANNE THOMPSON and CHRISTINA COLEBURN

Posted on 04/03/2016 2:28:33 PM PDT by drewh

As president, Donald Trump would sell off $16 trillion worth of U.S. government assets in order to fulfill his pledge to eliminate the national debt in eight years, senior adviser with the campaign Barry Bennett said.

"The United States government owns more real estate than anybody else, more land than anybody else, more energy than anybody else," Bennett told Chris Jansing Sunday on MSNBC. "We can get rid of government buildings we're not using, we can extract the energy from government lands, we can do all kinds of things to extract value from the assets that we hold."

In a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post, Trump said he would get rid of the $19 trillion national debt "over a period of eight years." The article noted that most economists would consider Trump's proposal impossible, as it could require slashing the annual federal budget by more than half.

However, when pressed on whether the United States could sell off $16 trillion worth of assets, Bennett responded affirmatively on Sunday.

"Oh, my goodness," he said. "Do you know how much land we have? You know how much oil is off shore? And in government lands? Easily."

The federal government's assets totaled $3.2 trillion as of September 2015, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. However, that does not include include stewardship assets or natural resources.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2016election; abortion; andthenwhat; annethompson; barrybennett; bobwoodward; china; chrisjansing; christinacoleburn; cronycapitalism; cronyism; deathpanels; debt; demagogicparty; districtofcolumbia; election2016; energy; fascism; memebuilding; methane; msnbc; newyork; obamacare; obamarecession; obamataxhikes; opec; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; petroleum; plan; privitization; robertcosta; spendingandselling; trump; trump4sale; unelectable; usa4sale; washingtoncompost; washingtonpost; whatthetrump; zerocare
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140 ... 521-525 next last
To: dragnet2

95 I like it. :)

First to relocate IRS


101 posted on 04/03/2016 3:15:49 PM PDT by VRWCarea51 (The original 1998 version)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 95 | View Replies]

To: napscoordinator

It won’t work because neither party will use the money to pay down the debt


102 posted on 04/03/2016 3:16:24 PM PDT by kjam22 (America need forgiveness from God..... even if Donald Trump doesn't)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Tennessee Nana

...”fire those who have students graduating who cant read and write...”

Every teacher in Mexifornia would be fired. LOL! The state instituted a high school exit exam because kids were ‘graduating’ without being about to read or do basic math. Of course, the illegals all said it was racist!


103 posted on 04/03/2016 3:16:47 PM PDT by CottonBall
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies]

To: WENDLE

Who’d buy it?


104 posted on 04/03/2016 3:17:39 PM PDT by theoilpainter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: CottonBall

And doesn’t really have to outright sell. Start opening up oil and other leases to the highest (domestic) bidders immediately.


105 posted on 04/03/2016 3:17:41 PM PDT by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 99 | View Replies]

To: builder

It has never been proposed as a method of getting rid of the debt in 8 years. Or even as part of paying down the debt at all.

This is just a small part of Trump’s plan to set the country back on her feet.


106 posted on 04/03/2016 3:18:02 PM PDT by CottonBall
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies]

To: CottonBall

Bingo. That is the same thing the corrupt politicians do with their careers. They go from one appointed or elected office to another their entire careers, over and over, and most come out wealthy. The public servants became the masters.

Enough of this BS.


107 posted on 04/03/2016 3:18:35 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 99 | View Replies]

To: theoilpainter

A company like Federal Express.


108 posted on 04/03/2016 3:19:24 PM PDT by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 104 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

Good point.

The government doesn’t have to spend any money to get the oil out of the ground that way, and gets the money right away.

And we become more energy independent in the process.

It’s all good ;)


109 posted on 04/03/2016 3:20:28 PM PDT by CottonBall
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 105 | View Replies]

To: CrazyIvan

Yea, a few air heads up there did that stunt. Indiana Toll Road too, as well as one in Canada and one near Chicago.

There’s a limit in what you should sell off...and to whom.


110 posted on 04/03/2016 3:22:07 PM PDT by BobL (A vote for Cruz...is now a vote for Romney / Jeb / Linda / Ryan (at the convention))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: CottonBall
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/19/republicans-seek-sell-disposable-federal-lands-help-pay-debt.html

Just one of MANY, MANY times proposed before. And certainly in the past eight years.

111 posted on 04/03/2016 3:23:02 PM PDT by builder (I don't want a piece of someone else's pie)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 106 | View Replies]

To: drewh

Politicians will just see this as another opportunity to spend without limits.


112 posted on 04/03/2016 3:23:45 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Liberals are the Taliban of America, trying to tear down any symbol that they don't like.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VTenigma

The government owns a hell of a lot, and that breach of the Constitution was executed long before Trump was even born.


113 posted on 04/03/2016 3:24:21 PM PDT by Future Snake Eater (CrossFit.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: VTenigma

Only technically true - since we elect representatives - they can sale anything on the books.

If you think you own anything on the governments books, try selling it.


114 posted on 04/03/2016 3:24:38 PM PDT by relentlessly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: VTenigma

“The government doesn’t own anything. We the people do”

You really believe that don’t you ... poor child


115 posted on 04/03/2016 3:25:55 PM PDT by MaxistheBest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: VTenigma

“Trump doesn’t own it either. It would take an act of congress to liquidate U.S. assets. I love you Trumpeters that think he is going to be able to just unilaterally do anything he wants.”

Though a good idea, I rather doubt Trump could pull it off. Trump really does think running the country is the same as running his company.


116 posted on 04/03/2016 3:26:01 PM PDT by sasportas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: builder

And that was over 5 years ago. What happened? I will tell ya what happened. Those deceitful SOBs in D.C. did nothing about it. We got lip services. They talk and do nothing.


117 posted on 04/03/2016 3:26:03 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 111 | View Replies]

To: drewh

good heavens.


118 posted on 04/03/2016 3:26:26 PM PDT by JohnBrowdie (http://forum.stink-eye.net)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: VTenigma

Go do anything against gubmint rules on gubmint land. You will find out who owns it pretty quickly.


119 posted on 04/03/2016 3:26:33 PM PDT by jospehm20
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: drewh

Wonder what naming rights to Yellowstone would be worth?


120 posted on 04/03/2016 3:27:22 PM PDT by Jedidah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140 ... 521-525 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson