What is her top economic priority? ...
I can answer that for Trump, pretty easily. It's tariffs and protectionism. That's something he cares passionately about, something that's a reason why he's running for office. He wants a more mercantilist economic policy, with the U.S. negotiating preferential deals rather than a global "most favored nation" free trade regime. He's got other non-economic priorities (The Border!), but that's his top one on the economy. Number two would be tax cuts.

The U.S. trade balance hasn't changed much in the last 15 years: we import about 15% of GDP, and export about 12% of GDP. Trump's first term policies created headlines, but did not change the top line numbers. The top line numbers are small anyway. Most of the U.S. economy is domestic production and consumption.

  DATE    Imports  Exports  Balance
7/1/2024    14%      11%      -3%
7/1/2023    14%      11%      -3%
7/1/2022    15%      12%      -3%
7/1/2021    14%      11%      -4%
7/1/2020    13%      10%      -3%
7/1/2019    14%      12%      -3%
7/1/2018    15%      12%      -3%
7/1/2017    15%      12%      -3%
7/1/2016    15%      12%      -3%
7/1/2015    15%      12%      -3%
7/1/2014    16%      13%      -3%
7/1/2013    16%      13%      -3%
7/1/2012    17%      14%      -3%
7/1/2011    17%      14%      -4%
7/1/2010    16%      12%      -4%
7/1/2009    14%      11%      -3%

Imports and Exports as Percent of GDP
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=1xPFx

And there is a similar story on the border. Obama deported more people than Trump, and Trump did not come close to his promise of "the largest deportation in history". Again, Trump's actions in his first term generated headlines, but did not change the actual number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. by much. Trump is lots of talk, but no results.

Trump did deliver on his 2nd economic priority: tax cuts for billionaires.

US Policy FAQ

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