David Stockman: Don’t Swap-Out the Swamp

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[Ed. Note: To see exactly what this former Reagan insider has to say about Trump and specifically what he believes must be done to drain the swamp, David Stockman is sending out a copy of his book Trumped! A Nation on the Brink of Ruin… And How to Bring It Back out to any American willing to listen. To learn how to get your free copy CLICK HERE.]

David Stockman joined CNN’s morning show New Day with Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota to discuss the latest diplomatic moves that Donald J. Trump’s administration has made. The focus of discussion was to offer concrete evaluation of the new White House leader and his “First 100 Days” in office.  To offer perspective, CNN brought in the bestselling author who literally wrote the book on what he believes Trump must do in order to improve the American economy and what he believes should be a draining of the swamp in U.S government foreign policy.

“It is more than messaging. This was a giant misfire. Trump was elected because Flyover America is hurting economically. The voters from Racine, Wisconsin to Johnstown, Pennsylvania are imperiled or threatened not because of some refugees coming here or visa holders from these seven countries.”

“They are imperiled because their real wages, their living standards, their jobs have all been disappearing for decades. The problem is far more [exacerbated] by the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen, the bubbles created on Wall Street, the enormous casino on Wall Street.”

David Stockman is the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan. He served as a two-term member in the United States Congress and also had an extensive career on Wall Street where he was an investment banker and private equity investor. David Stockman’s latest book, TRUMPED! A Nation on the Brink of Ruin… And How to Bring It Back is out now and offers a true way forward.

When pressed by Chris Cuomo about alleged growing fear in the United States Stockman responded, “The worst thing to do is actually fuel that fear. The fact is that between September 11 and the attacks at San Bernardino, between fourteen years, the United States had 425 people killed by lightning. There were six American civilians killed by terrorists if you don’t count the military bases which most people don’t go to. We need perspective. He didn’t need to do this.”

“This whole idea of “lickety-split,” hit the ground running, “ready, fire, aim” is going to cause enormous trouble.  They need to get back on the economic issues. As someone famously said in 1993, in the Clinton era ‘It’s the economy, stupid.’ That is how Trump got elected. He needs to refocus on that. He needs to curtail this whole agenda namely by Steve Bannon and what I call the ‘nationalist ultra-combative cultural-warriors’ of the alt-Right. They are trying to stir up the country. To use the agency of government to build political coalition, not to drain the swamp.”

He was then asked about the old guard that runs much of Washington by CNN’s Alisyn Camerota. The former Reagan insider noted, “I am all for shake-ups but I want to drain the swamp. I don’t want to just fill it with other creatures. Ones that are going to build up homeland security, border control, more money for defense, more money for spying and national security.”

“Frankly, this whole fall out going on now with Australia is a good thing. Everybody is claiming “they are our greatest ally,” I think they’re our stupidest ally. Every time in the last fifty years that Washington has called for war and invited them to come, they’ve come. Every one of those wars from Vietnam, to Gulf I, Afghanistan, Iraq to Libya have all been a failure. It has done nothing for the Australian people except drain them in blood and resources. Maybe if they are offended, and other allies are offended, maybe the world will start pushing back every time Washington starts wanting to push for war.”

Cuomo pushed back against alienation of global partnerships with the United States causing Stockman to return saying, “We are creating terrorist all over the world. Blowback. We are bombing, droning and have destroyed the whole Middle East. Look at it. We have liberated all of these cities and now they are rubble. There is no place to live. There are refugees everywhere. People are angry at Washington and for good reason.”

“Likewise, the Mexican border and the “bad hombres,” so to speak. That is the war on drugs.  The problem is the policy. Get rid of the war on drugs. If you got rid of the war on drugs you wouldn’t have most of the problem you have today. If it is all going to be more militancy, dollars spent and greater military intervention. The huffing and puffing, like was done toward the Iranians is troubling. After all, the best thing that Obama did was work toward a nuclear deal. To bring the Iranians back into the community of nations.”

“What do they have to do within ten days into their administration, by drawing red lines? This is really heading in the wrong direction. They need to get back to an America first agenda where our economy needs fixing. The Fed needs to be brought under control. We need to have a house cleaning there. Not all of these diversions.”

To catch the full interview on CNN with David Stockman click here. If you’d like to learn how to claim you own FREE copy of his bestselling book, click here.

Kind regards,

Craig Wilson, @craig_wilson7
for the Daily Reckoning

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