In an interview with the The Economist published Thursday, the President was asked about his tax plan’s potential to increase the deficit. President Trump in a recent interview said he invented the phrase “priming the pump,” a common saying used in economics when governments place money in … “Priming the pump” is a common metaphor for using government tax and spending to try to boost the economy into a higher level of functioning. That's telling. In fact, it appears to have started 13 years before he was born, and could contribute pump-priming … According to the dictionary company, this is not a new thing Trump invented. What is Mr. Trump talking about? But President Trump claims he coined it the other day. “What is the right way to interpret Trump’s statement that he coined the phrase ‘prime the pump’ a few days ago?” asks Goldberg. He … Unfortunately, I think we all know the answer: Trump … Donald Trump thinks he invented the phrase "priming the pump." The expression "prime the pump" has been used in economics since the Great Depression.