We are dealing with a President who is so woefully ignorant of basic economics that it almost beggars the imagination. He seems to think that the US economy will prosper best if its trade with each and every one of its trading partners is in equilibrium. Even assuming that such a balance could ever be achieved it would (i) require massive government intervention (something that Republicans are known to oppose) and (ii) reduce US growth dramatically. 

We can only assume that a Republican congress will see through the lunacy of this.