Posted on 04/03/2016 11:22:01 AM PDT by Steelfish
Fact Checker Trump’s Nonsensical Claim He Can Eliminate $19 Trillion In Debt In Eight Years
Donald Trump, in an interview with Bob Woodward and Robert Costa In a revealing interview, Trump predicts a ‘massive recession’ but intends to eliminate the national debt in 8 years
By Glenn Kessler April 2
The Washington Post's Bob Woodward and Robert Costa sat down with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Here's how the interview went. Donald Trump: “We’ve got to get rid of the $19 trillion in debt.”
Bob Woodward: “How long would that take?”
Trump: “I think I could do it fairly quickly, because of the fact the numbers…”
Woodward: “What’s fairly quickly?”
Trump: “Well, I would say over a period of eight years. And I’ll tell you why.”
Woodward: “Would you ever be open to tax increases as part of that, to solve the problem?”
Trump: “I don’t think I’ll need to. The power is trade. Our deals are so bad.”
Woodward: “That would be $2 trillion a year.”
Trump: “No, but I’m renegotiating all of our deals, Bob. The big trade deals that we’re doing so badly on. With China, $505 billion this year in trade. We’re losing with everybody.”
— exchange during a Washington Post interview, March 31, 2016
Of all the wildly impossible assertions made by Donald Trump, the notion that he could eliminate the nation’s $19 trillion in debt in just eight years ranks near the top. Trump suggests he can manage this feat simply by cutting better trade deals.
If only it were that easy. As we have noted repeatedly, eliminating a trade deficit does not mean the money ends up in government coffers. (Morever, Trump is wrong to say the trade deficit with China is $505 billion; it’s $366 billion, according to the Census..... (READ ON)
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
You are right in that. But anyone who thinks that Mr. Ethanol, Mr. Planned Parenthood is the man who'll do it might be advised to get a check up from the neck up.
Okay. That is a few billion. Now how do you get to trillions every year and oh yeah in a way that gets you elected. Take the rose colored glasses off. And oh BTW stopping the illegals at the border actually costs lots of money.
“Perhaps he should have stuck to what he as good at?”
But since we’ve yet to give him the chance, what happens if we find out that he IS GOOD at governing too? Same goes for Cruz as well.
I wish we had more freepers who were as concerned about the debt and taxes that their kids and grandkids may be saddled with as they are concerned about “what I paid in”.
The one he brought in the Canadians to design? Make Canada Great Again!
“Are Cruz supporters saying its impossible to shrink government and pay off national debt?
It’s impossible to do it without cutting a lot of politically popular programs, none of which Trump apparently plans to cut. “
So I’m wondering, this was a question about Cruze supporters, so just how does Trump’s name enter into the discussion at all? Oh, I know, you’re just like the politicians who when asked a question, give the answer they want to give even if it’s not relevant to the question asked.
Have you seen his tax plan? It pretty much guarantees spending cuts.
Perhaps you've forgotten that “wonderful comment’’ by Lyndon Johnson: “When I have their peckers in my pocket, they will follow me wherever I want to go!” Trump doesn't need any government resources to “look into” all our elected officials personal lives, he will have his own private army working on his dime to find the salacious stuff on those who won't go along.
“Social Security is not an entitlement?”
No, it isn’t, but SSA checks now say on them that they are a “benefit,” which is an out and out lie!
“I am utterly amazed by people saying on a conservative website that they want to keep liberal/socialist programs and denouncing the one guy whose campaign is built around fixing the problems! “
Perfect comment! And as you point out, we would not be even having discussions today about “social programs” if it were not for the candidacy of Donald Trump. Cruz is sort of wishy washy ( you just know he’s placating the electorate to buy votes), and K-sick is a full-on socialist democrat on social spending, even when it comes to illegals!
It amazes me that Trumpkins are so ecstatic about the idea of Trump blackmailing Congress to do his bidding... Tells me a lot about Trump and the Trumpkins, and none of it is good.
I was a consultant within my company for a couple of years. We would go into a region and start doing complete process reviews. We would challenge the staffs to make improvements of 30-50%. Most of the time we were successful.
If you expect “marginal” improvement, you will get marginal results. If you challenge the entire staff to expect to provide huge savings, they will usually deliver.
The biggest problem will be doing it with the union bosses in the room.
I just posted almost the same thing. You and I could walk into any government office and find 30% without breaking a sweat.
The problem is the middle management in any agency. They will try to sink you at every opportunity. Combined with the unions, and the media...it’s going to be tough.
Why is that nonsensical? Washington (Congress etc.) has been doing nonsensical ‘stuff’ for years and plans to continue. Trump, at least, says he will try to do something sensible.
“It amazes me that Trumpkins are so ecstatic about the idea of Trump blackmailing Congress to do his bidding.”
And you really think that “blackmailing” elected officials ( and the SCOTUS for that matter as well) doean’t happen every day. My guess is that it’s a wholesale process. So I’m glad to be a “trumkin,” because I want all necessary force to be brought to bear on our Congress to finally do what’s right for the people, even if it isn’t “right” for them personally. And if it takes someone outing this guy or that to get the job done. Do it. Like the guy in Canada said “If saving lives means hooking a camel shagger up to a car battery, all I can say is Red is positive, Black is negative, and make sure his nuts are wet!”
You might be surprised. If you are average, and you live to retirement age you will get back the amount you paid in in about ten years. Chances are you will live another ten or so if you did not smoke and you took care of yourself.
The problem is they base the gains on really bad interest rates.
Add in the Medicare costs and we will be burdening our children for decades.
I’m ok with it because I am selfish. Ha ha.
#55 well he did claim he could cut 300 million out of a 85 billion dollar budget item ....until he was called on it in a debate.
Oops.
Correct. That is what the term “bandwagon fallacy” means.
To the point at hand: Trump's claim that he can eliminate a $19 trillion debt in eight years is not superficially plausible, in my opinion.
However, if you can explain how Trump can make such a lift, I will listen with an open mind.
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