JUST GIVE UP, GUYS. HE CAN'T ANSWER:

What is Trumponomics and how does it differ from standard Republican economics?

Well it's an interesting question. I don't think it's ever been asked quite that way. But it really has to do with self-respect as a nation. It has to do with trade deals that have to be fair, and somewhat reciprocal, if not fully reciprocal. And I think that's a word that you're going to see a lot of, because we need reciprocality in terms of our trade deals. We have nations where...they'll get as much as 100% of a tax or a tariff for a certain product and for the same product we get nothing, OK? It's very unfair. And the very interesting thing about that is that, if I said I'm going to put a tax on of 10%, the free-traders, somewhat foolishly, they'll say "Oh, he's not a free-trader", which I am, I'm absolutely a free-trader. I'm for open trade, free trade, but I also want smart trade and fair trade. But they'll say, "He's not a free-trader," at 10%. But if I say we're putting a reciprocal tax on, it may be 62% or it may be 47%, I mean massive numbers, and nobody can complain about it. It's really sort of an amazing thing. [...]

It sounds like you're imagining a pretty big renegotiation of NAFTA. What would a fair NAFTA look like?

Big isn't a good enough word. Massive.

Huge?

It's got to be. It's got to be.

What would it look like? What would a fair NAFTA look like?

No, it's gotta be. Otherwise we're terminating NAFTA.

What would a fair NAFTA look like?

I was all set to terminate, you know? And this wasn't like...this wasn't a game I was playing. I'm not playing...you know, I wasn't playing chess or poker or anything else. This was, I was, I'd never even thought about...it's always the best when you really feel this way. But I was...I had no thought of anything else, and these two guys will tell you, I had no thought of anything else but termination. But because of my relationship with both of them, I said, I would like to give that a try too, that's fine. I mean, out of respect for them. It would've been very disrespectful to Mexico and Canada had I said, "I will not."

But Mr President, what has to change for you not to withdraw?

Tweet   @brothersjudd