James Gibney, Columnist

Trump's Trade Talk Has a Truth Deficit

The candidate misuses the data on a key trade pact. (Then again, so have Democrats.)

July 12, 2016 at 1:00 PM UTC

James Gibney is an editor for Bloomberg Opinion. Previously an editor at the Atlantic, the New York Times, Smithsonian, Foreign Policy and the New Republic, he was also in the U.S. Foreign Service from 1989 to 1997 in India, Japan and Washington.

I would not make this up. I would not.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

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Donald Trump’s recent Trademaggedon speech has unleashed a lot of “elite” spluttering. He doesn’t understand economics! He gets his facts wrong! His remedies are wildly unrealistic and counterproductive!

Which is all true. But just as important was one point where he got some of his facts right, because it highlights the difficulty of talking straight about trade -- for Republicans and Democrats alike.