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[MUSIC PLAYING]
RICK NEWMAN: I got an earful after writing last week
about Donald Trump's proposals on trade.
Here's a sampling.
"Read your Yahoo article on Trump tariffs.
Please stop writing and move to Mexico
and become a bricklayer."
OK.
"Sir, you are what is wrong with this country.
Cuba loves you.
Leave and be happy."
I'm not leaving.
I love New York, but thank you for the suggestion.
"Apparently you have no clue regarding the real effects
of Trump's tariff plans."
OK.
Some people went into great detail.
Here's a two-page email.
"Whatever you may say about Trump and Bernie
on their other issues on free trade,
at least they have it right."
So this person supports both Trump and Sanders.
16-paragraph email right here.
Discussion of the efficient market
hypothesis, other things like that.
And finally, Alan Tonelson, an economist I know,
wrote to point out that trade overall has been
a drag on the weak recovery.
And he calculates that since 2009, the trade deficit
has cut growth by about 9%.
OK, so I get it.
I get a lot of people are unhappy with the economy.
They feel it is not working for them,
and they're being left behind.
They blame globalization.
They blame companies moving operations overseas.
They blame outsourcing and offshore.
I get all that.
Still, it is well worth asking will
Donald Trump's proposals on trade help with this problem,
or actually make it worse.
And I will make one prediction that when President Trump is
in the Oval Office and he raises tariffs on imports
by something like 35% to 45%, and suddenly the price of TVs,
smartphones, microwave ovens, all kinds of things go up,
I think a lot of people who support his trade policies now
are going to change their minds.
We'll keep reporting on it, you keep telling us what you think.