President Trump’s U.S. trade policy of “America First”, free but FAIR trade, came to the forefront in Germany as Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin subtly yet firmly pushed back against language that affirmed globalism and multilateral trade.
According to the Washington Post German officials urged Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to agree to their customary modern free trade language in the G20’s joint statement.
However, the U.S. Treasury Secretary refused their request and instead urged adoption of more general wording allowing each nation to make their own determinations of what constitutes “free and fair trade” with their own best interests in mind.
This approach is the basis for one-on-one bilateral trade.  It is also the starting point toward negotiating exceptional trade deals by providing leverage which allows President Trump, Secretary Ross and Trade Rep Lighthizer to frame proposals (by competing nations) against each other.  By holding firm to the basic trade outlook Secretary Mnuchin is setting the table for the U.S. trade team to renegotiate everything.
The disconnect from the traditional economic group-think of the G20 finance ministers is a direct break from the past two decades.  This central approach reflects the baseline change in ongoing U.S. trade policy.  It would appear President Trump and his economic team are more concerned about the interests of American workers than foreign nationals. Go figure.
Secretary Mnuchin suggested adding more general language committing to “strengthen the contribution of trade.”   A version of that sentence was included in the statement, despite criticisms from some G20 finance ministers that it was pointless.
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President Trump delivers the weekly address for March 18th 2017.

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President Trump and German Chancellor Merkel hold a joint press conference Friday March 17th 2017.
Chancellor Merkel again presented her view that globalization was the future of the world economy, and continued advocating for a failing multi-culturalist approach toward blended societies and reductions in national identity.  Merkel, like most of the far-left EU ideologues view Russia as an existential threat to their political objectives.

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President Trump has initiated a new administration protocol of greeting each foreign dignitary personally at the entrance to the White House upon each visit.

Today German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the White House and attended a cabinet room roundtable discussion with U.S. and German business leaders on the topic of vocational training.  Anticipating a future trade negotiation President Trump also brought Commerce Secretary Wilburne (Ross) to engage:

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12:58 P.M. EDT [Transcript] PRESIDENT TRUMP: Chancellor, thank you very much. Such a great honor to get to know you, to be with you. I want to thank all of the business leaders who have joined us to discuss a subject that’s very important to me — training our workforce for the 21st century, especially with respect to manufacturing jobs.
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OMB Director Mick Mulvaney attends the daily White House press briefing and fields questions about the President Trump ‘America-First’ budget.
Director Mulvaney does an exceptional job explaining the larger budgetary issues, priorities and squashing some of the more ridiculous media narratives du jour.

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Regarding the non-discretionary side.  I would remind all:

Trump Economics – […] As the wage rate increases, and as the economy expands, the governmental dependency model is reshaped and simultaneously receipts to the U.S. treasury improve.
More money into the U.S Treasury and less dependence on welfare programs has a combined exponential impact. You gain a dollar, and have no need to spend a dollar. That is how the SSI and safety net programs are saved under President Trump.
When you elevate your economic thinking you begin to see that all of the “entitlements” or expenditures become more affordable with an economy that is fully functional.
As the GDP of the U.S. expands, so too does our ability to meet the growing need of the retiring U.S. worker. We stop thinking about how to best divide a limited economic pie, and begin thinking about how many more economic pies we can create. (link)

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It’s really interesting to read the financial presentation of Reuters in their article outlining the Fed, Chair Janet Yellen, decision to raise interest rates a quarter point (.25).  Keep in mind that Reuters traditionally slants left (globally) on all economic presentations.
Those Treepers who have followed our economic analysis will note the disparity between Yellen’s justification and the inconsequential impact therein.   The Stock Market never even flinched today.  Part of the reason is the disconnected (traditional) view of economics within the current Yellen justifications.  It ain’t just us who sees this “new dimension“.

Emphasis in citations are all mine.

(Reuters) The U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday for the second time in three months, a move spurred by steady economic growth, strong job gains and confidence that inflation is rising to the central bank’s target.
The decision to lift the target overnight interest rate by 25 basis points to a range of 0.75 percent to 1.00 percent marked one of the Fed’s most convincing steps yet in the effort to return monetary policy to a more normal footing.

{define “normal”}
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A Morning Consult national online survey polled 1,983 registered voters from March 9th-13th and found overall optimism continues to increase, and with it the approval rating of President Trump.

(Poll and Data Link Details)

President Donald Trump delivers remarks today in Detroit Michigan. President Trump is holding an event at the American Center for Mobility, a testing center for self-driving vehicles in Ypsilanti Township.
Within the remarks it is anticipated that President Trump will announce the U.S. Environmental Protection agency will restart a review process for tougher fuel-economy standards, a move that has been applauded by U.S. automakers.

Video Added:

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There are articles that are funny in their presentation, and then there are articles that are hilariously funny in their apoplectic protestations.  CNN writes a lengthy article about the upcoming President Trump budget.  The headline:

“Trump’s plan to dismember government“

Washington (CNN) – President Donald Trump plans to dismember government one dollar at a time.
His first budget — expected to be unveiled later this week — will mark Trump’s most significant attempt yet to remold national life and the relationship between federal and state power.
It would codify an assault on regulatory regimes over the environment, business and education bequeathed by former President Barack Obama, and attempt to halt decades of steadily growing government reach. (read more)

And, and… they say this like it’s a bad thing. (more…)

For those who are economic and trade policy junkies, President Trump’s key pick for U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, testified today at his Senate Confirmation Hearing.  To skip the legislative posturing {gag} forward the video to 33:00:

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Mr. Lighthizer, 69, worked for decades as a trade lawyer, representing clients including U.S. Steel Corp.  Historically, he has been critical of U.S. officials who supported China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001, and argued the move worsened America’s trade deficit and hollowed out our manufacturing sector.
Two decades of actual, and quantifiable, results later shows Lighthizer was absolutely 100% correct in his criticisms and predictions.  Ultimately this is why the Globalists within the Democrat machine want to keep Lighthizer out of office.  Mr. Lighthizer will forget more about trade deals than the next closest person could ever know. (more…)