Here's what often gets overlooked in the trade deficit debate: foreign capital flowing into the US is actually the main culprit, not tariffs or other countries' protectionist walls. Sound counterintuitive? Think about it this way—when overseas investors pour money into American assets, they need dollars, which strengthens the currency and makes US exports pricier globally. The math gets messier from there. Now, if Trump's policies actually do shrink that trade deficit, don't mistake it for a win. What'll likely happen is foreign investment dries up, and that slowdown ripples through the broader economy. It's less about winning trade battles and more about the unintended consequences of capital flows. The trade deficit isn't really a scoreboard—it's a mirror reflecting how attractive (or unattractive) America looks to global money.