Thread by @AndrewFeinberg

Good morning, @realDonaldTrump has called into @FoxBusiness and is lying about tariffs and trade deficits again.

1. Tariffs are taxes paid by US companies and US consumers. To the extent any "billions" are "flowing into the treasury," it is from Americans' pockets, not China.

2. The U.S. trade relationship with China does feature a deficit with goods, but a SURPLUS with services. The U.S. services trade surplus with China was $40.5 billion in 2018.

Lie #3, The U.S. DOES NOT PAY THE MAJORITY OF NATO'S COSTS. @realDonaldTrump is referring to a 2% GDP defense spending commitment, but NATO IS NOT A COUNTRY CLUB.

He calls Germany "delinquent" because it spends 1% of GDP on defense, but THERE ARE NO DUES TO BE DELINQUENT ON.

LIE #4: The EU "was set up to take advantage of the United States."

I don't even know where to begin except to say that the EU began as an economic partnership because leaders recognized that the best way to avoid a third World War was to increase trade. europa.eu/european-union…

LIE #5: EU monetary policy is implemented to "take advantage of the United States." It is NOT.

LIE #6: "No one had heard of Jerome Powell" before @realDonaldTrump made him Fed chair.

LIE #7: "I have the right to fire [Powell]." He only can fire Powell FOR CAUSE/MISCONDUCT.

@realDonaldTrump LIE #8: "My 'Plan B' with China is to take in billions and billions a month." -- HE IS SAYING HIS 'PLAN B' IS TO RAISE MORE TAXES ON AMERICANS.

@realDonaldTrump LIE #9: TPP "was set up in order to take advantage of [the United States]" -- He appears to think TPP was like the EU, and that letting countries negotiate multilateral deals that include the US is a way to screw us (even though EACH COUNTRY NEGOTIATES INDIVIDUALLY).

@realDonaldTrump LIE #10: "Almost all nations are abusers" / US "is the piggy bank" -- This is MERCANTILISM.

@realDonaldTrump LIE #11: "The Europeans have taken advantage of us worse than China...they don't take our product, we take their products."

LIE #12: Angela Merkel "hates the United States worse than anyone I've ever met" because EU has antitrust laws and enforces them against US companies.

@realDonaldTrump LIE #13: Trade with EU is unfair because EU "sends" Mercedes, BMW cars -- AMERICANS IMPORT THEM BECAUSE AMERICANS WANT TO BUY THEM.

LIE #14: Canada charges a "300% tariff" on Agricultural products.

LIE #15: Twitter "is making it very hard" for @realDonaldTrump to get out his...

...message." THIS IS A LIE.

LIE #16: Social media "very biased towards Democrats" because @realDonaldTrump is not getting as many followers. He is losing followers because Twitter removes BOTS and FAKE ACCOUNTS.

@realDonaldTrump LIE #17: "They [Google] are trying to rig the election" -- This is false.

LIE #18: Google "was swamping us with negative stuff" during the 2016 election. -- This is a lie that he often repeats, which started spreading in a fake study promoted by Sputnik.

@realDonaldTrump LIE #19: "I have been attacked for 2.5 years...by a phoney...dishonest group of people...in intelligence agencies."

@realDonaldTrump LIE #20: "The reason [Democrats] are fighting so hard is the real stuff is going to be revealed."

LIE #21: "They spied on my campaign." The FBI conducted a COUNTERINTELLIGENCE INVESTIGATION.

LIE #22: Mueller "terminated" Stzrok/Page texts "illegally" -- not even sure what this means. Mueller shouldn't have fired them?

LIE #23: "Much of the media is dishonest...and absolutely stone-cold crooked."

LIE #24: "I said I'm going to put people together"

The Obama administration DID NOT have a "zero tolerance" policy of separating ALL FAMILIES.

LIE #25: The border crisis would end "if the Democrats would get rid of the loopholes and fix asylum." -- By "fix" he means END asylum.

LIE #26: "Democrats want open borders"

LIE #27: "The wall is being built very rapidly" / "400 miles of wall" -- Neither is true.

LIE #28: "When you get an Obama judge, you get a loss."

LIE #29: "I've been very nice to [Iran]"

LIE #30: Tariffs would "end" China's ability to build military bases.

LIE #31: "We've been handing China $500 billion a year forever" -- Americans BUY GOODS MADE IN CHINA. THEY PAY MONEY FOR THOSE GOODS.

Lie #32: China "never pays us anything" -- he U.S. services trade surplus with China was $40.5 billion in 2018.

Lie #33: "We are the largest oil producer in the world *under me*" -- the US became the world's largest oil exporter UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.

Lie #34: The president is talking about more tariffs if he can't get a deal with China as if they would punish China. He's threatening to tax Americans' purchases of Chinese-made goods 25% if he can't a China deal.

Lie #35: "We have tremendous support from every angle" -- support for @realDonaldTrump is down in many key states and with almost all demographics except white people without college degrees.