patent

That will depress spending - and also have wider ramifications, as environmental permitting, patent approvals, payments to contractors and other kinds of government activity tied to business comes to a halt.

It comes after the US president announced last week a 100% levy on branded or patented drug imports from 1 October.

He once kicked a movie star out of his shop because the star brought back a pair of patent leather shoes that he claimed were defective.

After all, the man who patented and popularized the negative narrative about Social Security and Medicare bankrupting the country was the sainted Ronald Reagan, who built his political career on it.

Naturally, he speaks through force on the field — a relentless pass rusher with a patented spin move that is disruptive to most offenses.