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7/22/2016

Dumbest Guy in the Room: Donald Trump's Energy Policy - Forbes

Energy
APR 23, 2011 @ 09:43 PM

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Dumbest Guy in
the Room:
Donald Trump's
Energy Policy
William Pentland, CONTRIBUTOR
I write about energy and environmental
issues. FULL BIO
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

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http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2011/04/23/dumbest-guy-in-the-room-donald-trumps-energy-policy/#7538f29229b9

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Dumbest Guy in the Room: Donald Trump's Energy Policy - Forbes

As the rumor mill surrounding next


years presidential election picks up
steam, Donald Trumps potential
candidacy has received the nod
from a few Republican Party
stalwarts. For his part, Trump
appears to be courting party leaders
by rolling out big-picture policy
statements. For example, in March,
Trump proposed an extraordinarily
straightforward energy policy for
solving the short and long term
energy woes of the United States.

The plan has two principal parts.


First, the U.S. military re-invade the
Middle East and commandeer
control of Iraqs oil fields. As Trump
sees it, the U.S. earned the right to
annex Iraqs abundant reserves of
crude oil by investing about $1.5
trillion in ousting Saddam Hussein.
Trump explained his thinking in an
interview with George
Stephanopoulos:

Trump: George, let me explain


something to you. We go into Iraq.
We have spent thus far, $1.5 trillion.
We could have rebuilt half of the
United States. $1.5 trillion. And were
going to then leave. So, in the old
days, you know when you had a war,
to the victor belong the spoils. You go

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7/22/2016

Dumbest Guy in the Room: Donald Trump's Energy Policy - Forbes

in. You win the war and you take it.

Stephanopoulos: It would take


hundreds of thousands of troops to
secure the oil fields.

Trump: Excuse me. No, it wouldnt at


all.
Stephanopoulos: So, we steal an oil
field?
Trump: Excuse me. Youre not
stealing. Excuse me. Youre not
stealing anything. Youre taking
were reimbursing ourselves at least,
at a minimum, and I say more. Were
taking back $1.5 trillion to reimburse
ourselves.

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But Trump is not one to put all his


eggs in one basket. On the contrary,
in the unlikely event the U.S. is
unable to colonize Iraqs oil reserves
by military shock and awe, Trumps
plan envisions an equally simple
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Dumbest Guy in the Room: Donald Trump's Energy Policy - Forbes

Plan B strategy for bringing down


gas prices. Trump explained the
mechanics of this strategy to CNN:

I can send two executives into a


room. They can say the same things;
one guy comes home with the bacon
and the other guy doesnt. Ive seen it
a thousand times . . . We dont have
the right messenger. [President
Barack] Obama is not the right
messenger. We are not a respected
nation anymore and the world is
laughing at us.

In other words, because OPEC


controls the price of crude oil, all we
need to do is tell OPEC to reduce oil
prices and Ta-Da! cheap gasoline
for everyone forever and ever.

Wow. Why didnt we think of this


before?

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Dumbest Guy in the Room: Donald Trump's Energy Policy - Forbes

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Dumbest Guy in the Room: Donald Trump's Energy Policy - Forbes

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