President Trump wants to spend. He also wants, where possible, to avoid congressional interference and bigger deficits. Enter the balance sheet.
The big picture: The president is going through the couch cushions of government — $200 billion from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for mortgage bonds, $20 billion from a Treasury fund for Argentina — to advance his policy priorities.
- Critics say it's nontraditional at best, and autocrat-adjacent at worst.
