Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said President Trump’s threat to stop trade with countries running deficits should not be taken as an expectation that trade will end. Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper on State of the Union, Hassett said Trump strongly believes interest rates should be lower and that the next step depends on the Federal Reserve. Trump renewed pressure on the central bank after an August jobs report showed 162,000 new jobs, compared with economists’ forecast of 53,000, and warned that countries with which the United States has a deficit could lose access to trade unless rates were reduced. Broader economic concerns remain for Trump and Republicans, including higher oil and gas prices linked to the Iran war and recent trade tensions with Canada.