The News Agents - USA How Trump screwed the world economy
36 snips
Mar 26, 2026 
Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize–winning economist and New York Times columnist, weighs in with sharp analysis. He discusses suspicious pre-announcement trading tied to Trump's Iran claim. He explains how market moves and oil shocks from a Hormuz shutdown could ripple globally. He also considers why investigations seem unlikely.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Insider Trading Spike Before Trump's Iran Claim
- Unusual trading volumes 15 minutes before Trump's Iran statement strongly suggest insider trading.
- Paul Krugman cites spikes in WTI oil futures and S&P mini futures at 6:49 then Trump's 7:05 announcement as hard circumstantial evidence involving >$0.5bn trades.
One Billionaire Can Move Futures Markets
- An individual billionaire or small cabal could move futures markets with a single timed trade.
- Krugman notes the sums are in a range where one wealthy investor close to Trump could plausibly have executed the action.
Political Limits On Investigations
- Expect no serious investigation while Trump remains in office.
- Krugman argues the administration rarely probes wrongdoing by political allies, so any probe would likely wait for a future administration.