Trump is making a major mistake in risking the dollar’s reserve currency status
If the dollar lost its reserve currency status, the US economic equilibrium would change drastically. It would no longer be possible for the low US savings rate to lead to a constant external deficit and continuous accumulation of external debt, as US debt would no longer be in demand (held). US domestic demand would have to contract so as to eliminate the country’s external deficit, giving rise to a severe recession in the United States. Yet Trump is risk ing the dollar’s reserve currency status: First, by conducting an expansionary fiscal policy at full employment, which will worsen the US external deficit , potentially giving rise to fears of a sharp depreciation of the dollar and discourag ing the holding of dollars; Second, by entering into conflict with countries that help finance the US external deficit and hold US external debt, in particular Russia and China.