Only I can fix it · 2016 campaign · № 13

Only I can fix it

Only he knew how to fix debt, trade deficits and a weakened military

“I am the only person running for the presidency who understands this and this is a serious problem. I'm the only one — believe me, I know them all, I'm the only one that knows how to fix it.”
Said
, Foreign policy speech at the Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C. (Center for the National Interest)
Subject
America's overextended resources
Topic
Foreign policy
Era
2016 campaign

What happened

The passage referred to 'massive debt, low growth, a huge trade deficit' and the need to 'rebuild our military.' The federal debt grew about 50%, from $14.4 trillion to $21.6 trillion, and the trade deficit rose 36.3% to nearly $654 billion in 2020. PolitiFact rated his pledge to eliminate the federal debt in eight years Promise Broken.

Sources

  1. Remarks on Foreign Policy The American Presidency Project, Apr 27, 2016
  2. Trump's Final Numbers FactCheck.org, Oct 8, 2021
  3. Trump-O-Meter: Eliminate the federal debt in 8 years PolitiFact, Jan 2, 2020