Video & Podcasts Of The Week
Getting Perspective On Trump's First 100 Days, Interesting Events & Looking At Gold To Oil
Last week certainly was interesting, but I have several podcast guests lined up for the next couple weeks that should be able to give their viewpoints on a variety of topics. A couple of the podcasts below should also help readers with some perspective, and not just on financial markets. I’m certain most of my readers pay fairly close attention to markets, but I think some people miss the big picture because they zero in on just one aspect of what is happening today. If you just stare at screens watching charts all day, you might miss some of the cultural things that are bubbling up, or some of the current events that might seem unrelated to markets at first glance.
When you look at everything going on, it seems like things are definitely speeding up, and this year is going to play a huge role in the direction of the US moving forward. If a judge gets final say on everything the Trump administration wants to do, where does that lead? The same judges that complain about due process didn’t say a word over the last four years when at least ten million people entered the country illegally. I could rant about lawfare and that process, but how Trump deals with the judicial system is a big question mark for me for now. That’s just one example of a bunch of things that are shifting quickly, and while I think it’s too early to judge the Trump administration on the first 100 days, I’m not the only one that is frustrated by the lack of progress on some of their objectives. The podcasts below talk about some of these things, but the other thing that will be interesting to watch is how the tariff (China embargo) agenda plays out.
I’m not in the doom and gloom camp, but the longer this drags on, the more likely it ends poorly for both the US and Chinese economies. Will there be supply chain hiccups? Yes, but is it going to be as severe as COVID disruptions? I would take the other side of that bet, but I also asked Sal Mercogliano if he was available to come back on the podcast to talk about his view on shipping, so hopefully we can get an update on where things stand as far supply chains in the next couple weeks. I will take a victory lap on the fentanyl issue being a piece of the US-China negotiations, but we also got news that a quarter of US exports to China are being exempted from their tariffs, so it seems like things are progressing towards a deal. If I had to guess there will be some sort of agreement (or at least a framework for a deal) in the next month or two, but I’m sure we will continue to see a bunch of news headlines on what might or might not happen regarding China.
Palisades Gold Radio w/ John Johnston
This was my favorite podcast of the last week, and it isn’t just focused on gold or financial markets. They talked about a bunch of things, from the path forward for the US, Trump’s motivations, to a gold audit and Fort Knox. John Johnston lays out a compelling thesis on how Trump can accomplish some of the most important objectives of his administration, and how things could play out for America long term. The most interesting part was the section on gold to oil, but I will be talking about that more with one of my podcast guests later this week. If you’re interested in commodities or financial markets, you will enjoy this one.
The Pete Quinones Show x2 & The J. Burden Show
These three podcasts were the best this week as far as politics and current events. You might not agree with my political views (or theirs), but I think they have a pretty good handle on where things might be headed after Trump, especially if the pendulum swings back to a Democrat administration in 2028. They talk about a variety of topics, from preparing for the potential problems on the horizon, demographic and generational changes, and what future administrations might do to their political enemies. If you listen to any of these, they will definitely be food for thought on the long term future of the US, and some of the steps that might be necessary to prepare for that future. I think a lot of people miss what time it is, and aren’t able to see the writing on the wall on where the US could be headed if things go sideways, but as some people like to say, it’s later than you think.
Always good to see what you're liking Ben