PBD Podcast Joe Kent Resigns + Trump's Cuba Takeover | PBD #761
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Mar 18, 2026 They debate a high-profile resignation and the political fallout around Iran policy. Rising diesel and gas price spikes and how supply chokepoints affect global oil flows are examined. Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and USS Tripoli movements are discussed alongside insurance and shipping risks. They also unpack Trump's comment about Cuba and Bob Iger stepping down from Disney.
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Negotiate Concessions When Asking Allies For Help
- Use geopolitical leverage when allies ask for help by negotiating concrete economic concessions in return.
- Patrick Bet-David suggests trading military support for multi-year tariff commitments to lock in reciprocal benefits.
Diesel Spike Could Trigger Short Recession
- Diesel jumped ~37% month-over-month to about $4.99, creating immediate cost pressure for industry and transport.
- Jeff Snider and Tom note that if the strait reopens prices fall quickly, but prolonged shocks risk recessionary unemployment like 1990-91.
Strait Of Malacca Is China’s Critical Vulnerability
- Strategic choke points beyond Hormuz matter: Saudi east-west pipeline, Suez alternatives, Ben-Gurion pipeline, and especially the Strait of Malacca.
- Bet-David highlights Malacca moves $3.5 trillion and carries ~35% of sea-transported oil, a key Chinese vulnerability.