Well Okay Then

I know Trump doesn't know what a trade deficit is. He thinks if the trade deficit is $300 billion that means that other countries are stealing $300 billion from us somehow, and that "bad trade deals" means they get to steal more from us. No I don't quite know how thinks this works.

But even within the Trumpian worldview of trade, this makes no sense.

WH CEA Chair Hassett, echoing Trump, says trade war with China is mostly hurting them not us

explains that American consumers can easily buy substitutes for all the generic Chinese manufactured goods from alternative sellers like Malaysia

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) November 2, 2018

I do not think decreasing our trade deficit with China while increasing our trade deficit with Malaysia...reduces our trade deficit.