Trump’s call for a ‘good shutdown’ shows his reckless streak

Here he goes again. Last week, President Trump once again took to Twitter to offer his expertise on constitutional democracy and the economy. In one way, it’s a fitting venue, limited in size, as the president knows little about government and seems profoundly lacking in curiosity about learning more.

When he tweeted during his campaign, no one took it seriously because he had no chance of winning. But then Trump won the election, and his tweets became considerably less amusing. It was hard to imagine, for example, how someone about to become president of the United States had time to muse about the “Apprentice” ratings, and gloat that his were higher.

One hoped for silence. But one of Trump’s recent tweets, coming as Congress was reaching a deal to avoid a government shutdown, said that the country needed “a good shutdown” to force the ultimate confrontation over spending. What set Trump off in part was that the deal didn’t include funding for Trump’s ridiculous border wall.

A shutdown, of course, would slow the U.S. economy and send worldwide markets down. It would be a financial trauma, evidenced by the mid-90s, when it happened for brief periods. (It also cost Republicans dearly in the next election.)

Let’s hope Trump goes back to tweeting something he knows about – beauty pageants, the “Apprentice,” anything but national economics. Or better yet, he could give his phone “a good shutdown.”

This story was originally published May 7, 2017 at 9:07 AM with the headline "Trump’s call for a ‘good shutdown’ shows his reckless streak."