A reporter knocked President Donald Trump off balance during a chaotic press briefing alongside an awaiting helicopter by pointing out that he'd attended the same business school as the president.
Trump spoke to reporters Friday as the Marine One chopper prepared to take him to Andrews Air Force Base, where he would depart for a trip to his golf courses in Scotland. A correspondent asked why the dollar had lost so much value and whether Trump was concerned.
"Well, you know, I'm a person that likes a strong dollar, but a weak dollar makes you a hell of a lot more money," Trump said. "I hate to tell you, I don't know if you study it, but I study it, and if you look at the yen."
The reporter interrupted to tell Trump he had attended The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania — the same institution the president had attended.
"I went to the same school," the reporter said. "I went to Penn and Wharton, so I know that."
"You understand," Trump replied. "Oh, you did go to Penn? You're a smarter guy than I even thought, and I know you're smart.
"So when we have a strong dollar, one thing happens. It sounds good, but you don't do any tourism, you can't sell tractors, you can't sell trucks, you can't sell anything. It is good for inflation, that's about it, and we have no inflation. We've wiped out inflation, but it's an interesting question. So I will never say I like a low currency, but you remember the battles I had with the yuan, with China and with Japan, Japan being the yen. They always wanted a weak currency, they're trying to get a weak currency now."
"Now it doesn't sound good, but you make a hell of a lot more money with a weaker dollar, not a weak dollar, but a weaker dollar than you do with a strong dollar," Trump added."
Watch the exchange below or at this link.
- YouTube youtu.be
