Subject: Yesterday's Interview with Politico
Trump began the interview by insisting that the U.S. economy, an economy in which families are struggling with soaring costs, shrinking paychecks, and deep recession-level pain, is worthy of a grade of “A+++++.”

When the interviewer noted that holiday shoppers are feeling strained and are worried about having to choose between paying for their health insurance or holiday gifts, Trump dismissed the concern outright, telling the reporter, “Don’t be dramatic.” He insisted that people “don’t feel that,” a claim that would only make sense if one lived inside the gold-plated isolation of Mar-a-Lago, where the president routinely hosts Gatsby-themed galas while Americans try to figure out how to afford groceries.

Throughout the interview, Trump’s hostility grew. When asked about the devastating September 2 military operation, an attack already condemned by experts around the world as a likely war crime, Trump brushed aside concerns.

The foreign-policy portion of the interview revealed something even more dangerous: a commander in chief openly musing about ground invasions and attacking democratic allies. When pressed on whether he could rule out an American ground invasion of Venezuela or other nations including Mexico and Colombia, he replied, “I don’t want to rule in or out. I don’t talk about it.” He then launched into a tirade against Politico, bizarrely claiming the publication received “$8 million from Obama.” (A lie, of course).

Trump’s disdain for NATO was even more explicit. According to him, “NATO calls me daddy.” His administration’s newly released national-security strategy, an official government document, states plainly that his goal is to “end the perception and the reality of NATO as a permanent organization.” That is not reform. That is dismantling the most successful military alliance in modern history, a move that would leave Europe vulnerable and embolden Russia.

His rhetoric about Ukraine was worse. Trump repeatedly belittled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him “P.T. Barnum” and describing Ukraine as “losing.” He praised Russia’s position as “stronger,” ignoring the obvious: his own policies have tilted the scales in Moscow’s favor.

On economic policy, Trump made his most reckless admission yet: he will choose the next Federal Reserve chair based on a promise to immediately lower interest rates, regardless of economic conditions. This is the type of political interference economists warn can trigger severe downturns. At a time when most Americans already feel like they are living through a recession, Trump’s approach would all but guarantee even deeper instability.

His trade policies continue the same pattern of self-inflicted harm. After personally crippling U.S. farmers with a disastrous trade war that wiped out soybean exports to China, he is now claiming a “huge win” because China has agreed to buy a fraction of what it purchased under President Biden.

In exchange, Trump rewarded Beijing with something far more consequential: permission to buy Nvidia’s advanced H200 semiconductor chips, the same chips the Justice Department has treated as highly restricted national-security assets. On the very day the DOJ announced a major bust of smuggling operations involving those same chips, Trump told Xi Jinping he could have them legally. It is difficult to overstate how dangerous that concession is. These chips power the next generation of artificial intelligence capability. Handing them to a geopolitical rival in exchange for soybean purchases is a surrender, all in a panicked attempt to get China to try to undo the devastating effects of his own trade war.

Through all of this, the pattern is unmistakable. Trump rewards autocrats. He punishes allies. He lies about the economy. He tries to project strength while revealing profound weakness. And he attacks anyone, from reporters to NATO to members of Congress, who dares challenge him. —MeidasTouch