This came in the email:

Dear Professor Gelman,

Hi. My name is ** and I am a 5th grade student at ** School in **, NY. I am in Mr. **’s class and we are working on our graduating project called Capstone! I am studying how how President Trump’s business life affects his job as President. I know you are an expert in this field and I am looking to interview someone to help me understand more. I chose this topic because I was fascinated by the election and I remained hooked on the news. Also, the more I read, the stranger the story gets.. I am hoping you can answer my questions. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my email:

1.
How do you think his business will be affected by his views on mexicans, muslims, etc?
2.
Do you think that his business will still be doing well when he gets back?
3.
How do you think his business ties are affecting his policies?
4.
Based on his foreign policies do you think he could possibly start a war, if so who?
5.
How do you think his business personality is affecting the way he governs?

I responded to the kid as follows:

I don’t really know the answer to these questions. I think that if you ask someone in the real estate business, they will be better able to answer all these questions (except for #4). Good luck!