Ben Stein On Trump Economics: ‘Nonsense,’ ‘Pauper’ Compared With Warren Buffett
A recent interview with speechwriter for former President Richard Nixon, actor, and economist Ben Stein on CNN, as hosted by WRLDTV, on YouTube, featured harsh criticism from the life-long republican on Donald Trump’s economic policies and predictions for the financial markets, including that the United States is heading for a “massive recession,” as previously reported by TheInquisitr.
After being introduced as an “actor, comedian, and conservative” on CNN, Ben Stein quickly pointed out that his relevant qualification in the discussion about Donald Trump’s ideas on economic policies is that he has been an “economist” for 50 years and in that time he has never witnessed such “nonsense,” as what has been presented by the Republican front-runner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gnmcFrc3gY
“It breaks my heart,” Stein stated with regard to Trump’s popularity. “It makes me want to cry, because I’m Republican. I have never voted for a Democrat.”
Stein went on to explain the fact that the leading Republican continues to bring forward such “nonsensical ideas” on all of his economic policy proposals, and it is something that he finds “breathtakingly horrible.”
CNN’s Pamela Brown then asked if Trump’s statements might be “politically expedient.” The host explained that for Trump to continually highlight a belief, even if it isn’t based on reality, that the economy is going south, and that he can “fix it,” maintains the spotlight on his business record.
The actor agreed with Brown’s assessment of possible motivations behind Trump’s statements and remarked that the candidate has about as much sincerity as if he warned of an invasion of “men from Mars” and touted a plan that he was going to beat them back with “a stick.”
Ben Stein continued by comparing Donald Trump’s plan to eliminate the $19 trillion national debt in eight years by cutting roughly $2 trillion a year from a budget that amounted to $3.9 trillion in 2015, as one where the reported billionaire “flaps his wings” and flies.
Seemingly at a loss for words, an exasperated Stein stated that it was both “unbelievable” and “horrifying” that the leading Republican candidate could be making such statements.
“I’m just so flabbergasted,” Stein stated. “I hardly know how to control myself.”
Pamela Brown presented the fact that Trump’s rhetoric about a looming recession talks about the economy on the part of a presidential candidate, and politicians in general, to a whole new level; a point with which Ben Stein heartily agreed.
“Maybe we are going to have a recession,” Stein passionately stated. “But if we are, he doesn’t know.”
Stein stated that cutting taxes and renegotiating trade deals with U.S. trading partners, as Trump appears to plan, is a formula for starting a “gigantic recession.” He stated that Trump is close with Carl Icahn and Steve Wynn, and professed respect for their understanding of financial markets, but that other than that, Trump appears to have few economic advisors.
Pamela Brown responded, stating that Trump has held up a belief that he is his own best economic advisor.
“That’s really scary,” Stein deadpanned; he continued that some of his best friends, people who he respects, are supporters of Donald Trump. However, Stein feels that anyone who believes Trump has knowledge about the future of the U.S. economy is being deluded.
Ben Stein described Trump’s ideas on defense and foreign policy as “excellent.”
Brown asked if Trump supporters could be “conflating” the candidate’s perceived success in business with economic wisdom.
Stein replied that he believed “something like that” may be going on. He then highlighted that Donald Trump really isn’t all that successful as a business person, as featured previously reported by The Inquisitr, and stated that, compared with Warren Buffett, Trump is a “pauper.”
[Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images]
