The New York Times published a story on the debate over the Trans-Pacific Partnership in the House today. The article consists mostly of quotes from legislators, who share their opinions on the trade deal. Smack-dab in the middle of the report, however, an unexpected name appears. Donald Trump, whose connection to legislative politics is often limited to the fact that he is usually thinking about entering a presidential race, makes a cameo to offer his two cents. “Free trade only works if you have smart leaders and great negotiators. … We’re checkers players against grandmaster negotiators.”
The reporter notes that these comments were made in “an unsolicited telephone interview on Friday,” a six-word short story that once again clarifies that “unsolicited” is the passive-aggressive note on the refrigerator of journalistic attributions.
