The reality and the mandate underpinning Trump's overheated trade rhetoric

No one would mistake President Trump for a details guy. And his constant obfuscations make it easy to dismiss the sentiment that underpins his rhetoric, particularly when he’s live-tweeting commentary on his growing trade dispute with China.

When Trump misstates the bilateral trade deficit, for instance, that’s a number easily referenced — and he can be easily proven wrong. It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that he has a grasp of the issues.