Thursday on MSNBC’s “The Beat,” Rutgers University professor Brittney Cooper said President Donald Trump was “willing to start a physical war” to end a potential recession and win reelection in 2020.

Cooper said, “I am more concerned because this is not a man who retreats easily. What he has done is pursued a policy of protectionism. And one of the things we know is if we look at the World War II example is that protectionism and isolationism in the U.S. context does not work. And one of the ways we got ourselves out of the slump of protectionism in the 1940s was we entered World War II.

She added, “So, I think the other thing we should begin to watch is the continued military posturing toward all of these countries because one of the old school American rescue missions is get us into a war because that is often seen as another driver of the economy. And Trump wants one big key thing under his belt, he either wants his wall or to ride out on the glory of the economy. If he can’t have that, he’s willing to start a physical war in order to do it.”

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