Just a month into his tenure, Donald Trump reportedly jolted awake one night with a pressing question on his mind: was a strong U.S. dollar better for the economy or a weak one? Unsure, the president decided to call one of the many advisers he had enlisted for this express purpose. But instead of Gary Cohn or Steve Mnuchin, staffers with some level of economic expertise, Trump chose instead to call national security adviser Michael Flynn, who at the time was still in the White House’s employ.

Flynn, of course, had no idea, nor was he particularly forthcoming, considering Trump reportedly phoned at 3 A.M. And several months later, it appears that the dealmaker in chief remains ignorant. On Wednesday, seeking to contextualize the double-digit dip in the dollar since Trump’s inauguration, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin argued that a weaker dollar would encourage foreign buyers to purchase U.S. goods, potentially boosting American exports. “A weaker dollar is good for us as it relates to trade and opportunities,” Mnuchin told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Mnuchin’s comments resulted in a temporary hike in the relative value of the British pound, for which British finance minister Philip Hammond threw him a, “Steve, thanks very much.”)

This is not, strictly speaking, the most embarrassing pronouncement Mnuchin has ever made. But it didn’t sit well with Trump, who on Thursday afternoon said that his Treasury secretary’s remarks had been “taken out of context.” “The dollar is going to get stronger and stronger, and ultimately I want to see a strong dollar,” he said during an interview with CNBC, adding, “It should be what it is . . . It should also be based on the strength of the country.”

The president declined to say whether he had any rationale in promoting a strong dollar versus a weak one, though on Thursday, Mnuchin clarified that both have their advantages: “In the short term, there’s obviously benefits and issues with a lower dollar,” he said. “There are also issues for people who hold dollars. So I want to be clear in acknowledging both.”