The buffoon index

If you can get a heads-up on President Donald Trump’s lies, you can make money in the stock market.

For example: Trump announced a tariff deal with China, and the Dow Jones index went up 288 points and Amazon up 82. The next day, when his own staff admits that there is no deal, the DJIA was down 799 points, and Amazon was down 104.

I am sure stock traders are taking note — perhaps Trump, his staff members and friends find a way to profit from his lies.

Perhaps someone should develop an index for this. There should be a TVI (Trump Volatility Index) or BI (Buffoon Index).

Note that Trump has a long way to go. During President Barack Obama’s terms, the DJIA increased 148.23 percent. During Trump’s tenure, the index is up 26.22 percent. To match Obama, the Dow must rise to 49,217 — unlikely. To match the Dow’s growth during President Bill Clinton’s terms, the Dow must rise to 64,751.

George H.W. Bush is being hailed as the best one-term president. It looks like Trump is destined to be the worst.

Stan Phillips, Avon