Wonkbook: 'King of debt' Trump says U.S. can get out of paying it all back

Welcome to Wonkbook, a daily dose of news and analysis from the worlds of business, economics, policy and data. Here’s a sample for your immediate enjoyment. If you have been signed up by mistake or you’d rather not receive it, click here to unsubscribe.   Sponsored by Qualcomm | By Max Ehrenfreund Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Thursday said he might seek to pay back investors in U.S. government debt less than they were owed "if the economy crashed," raising doubts about whether Treasury bonds would be reliable in a future administration. The comments were striking because, historically, U.S. government debt has been treated as sacrosanct, …   The latest economic and domestic policy from Wonkblog   Donald Trump speaks at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa on November 12. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) By Max Ehrenfreund Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Thursday said he might seek to pay back investors in U.S. government debt less than they were owed "if the economy crashed," raising doubts about whether Treasury bonds would be reliable in a future administration. The comments were striking because, historically, U.S. government debt has been treated as sacrosanct, the safest investment in the world, and a pillar of global financial stability. Speaking on CNBC, Trump said he embraces the idea of taking on debt, given that borrowers can try to tweak the terms later on. Indeed, as a businessman Trump has used the bankruptcy laws on several occasions to reduce his companies' debts. "I am the king of debt. I do love debt. I love debt. I love playing with it." Trump said. "Do you believe that we, in terms of the United States need to pay a hundred cents on the dollar, or do you think that there's actually ways that we can renegotiate that debt?" CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin asked him. "Yeah, I think -- look, I have borrowed, knowing that you can pay back with discounts. And I have done very well," Trump said. Read the rest on Wonkblog. Number of the day 160,000. That's about how many positions employers added to payrolls in April, according to the monthly report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Chico Harlan has more.    Top jobs tweets "If you're Yellen, this maybe tilts you very slightly away from a June hike, I think? Solid wages but regression on payrolls and labor force." -- @Neil_Irwin "Possible to read this report as evidence of economy nearing full-employment. But that seems like over-interpreting." -- @bencasselman "Jobs report, summarized: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯" -- @JustinWolfers ADVERTISEMENT   Most Recent Posts from Wonkblog What life would actually be like without any processed food It's a little different than you probably imagine. By Roberto A. Ferdman  •  Read more »   Why a conservative economist says Trump could make America ‘the North Korea of economics’ His willingness to buck the rule of law worries economists By Jim Tankersley  •  Read more » How the Internet became ridiculously obsessed with avocado toast New York's Café Gitane is often cited as an originator of the dish. By Jayne Orenstein  •  Read more »   Donald Trump says he knows how the U.S. can get out of paying all its debts "You can't lose," Trump said. By Max Ehrenfreund  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   Federal Insider Federal news and policy update, in your inbox daily. Sign Up »         Share Wonkbook:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for a Wonkblog newsletter. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071