A trade deficit is an indicator that some other country is producing more crap that people in your country want. If the majority of that crap was stuff your country USED to produce, then you have an economic problem and that IS an indicator.
True. Economics has both micro and macro theory. Macro theory is national income accounting. This is where the writer is viewing things from as opposed to the many things that effect the costs of land, labor, and capital. Trump looks at both as a businessman has to have land, labor, capital, plus when we cannot compete with China due to labor costs, currency manipulation etc,. Failed policies/agreements cause entire industries like steel production to leave America. We buy steel from china. We need to make our own for national security reasons. I recall the smell of steel in cities like B’Ham, AL. We had all the cotton shirts, slacks, dresses etc. made in SC. We have lost entire segments of our economy to cheap labor PLUS terrible trade agreements. Monetary policy plays a large role and that includes Corp. taxes. Welfare to include social health insurance is hurting our ability to compete.