'Terrorist‑in‑chief', US economist brands Trump over Iran threat
Krugman cited the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) definition of terrorism
American economist Paul Robin Krugman has called US President Donald Trump a "terrorist‑in‑chief" following a social media post threatening violence against Iranian civilians and critical infrastructure.
Krugman cited the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) definition of terrorism, which describes it as "violence or threat of violence against people or property to further a particular ideology."
Krugman in a Substack post yesterday argued that Trump's threats, which specifically targeted essential services such as power plants, fit this definition.
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On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social that if Iran did not comply with US demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday, he would "blow up everything over there." He later told Axios that the US was in "deep negotiations" with Iran, but Krugman expressed scepticism over the claim.
According to Krugman, Trump's statements go beyond threats, amounting to promises of violence that could constitute war crimes. He noted that targeting civilian infrastructure would inevitably cause death and suffering among innocents, with no guaranteed effect on US objectives.
The economist warned that Trump's approach reflects a strategy of the weak, likening it to terrorism employed when conventional military action is insufficient.
Despite inheriting a powerful military, Krugman argued that Trump lacks the capability to enforce his demands, prompting a reliance on violence against civilians.
Beyond the military, Krugman called on US politicians and public figures to disavow Trump's actions.
He concluded that Trump's behaviour marks a historic and dangerous deviation, labelling him "America's terrorist president." Krugman warned that the world is watching, and the US must act to demonstrate that Trump is an aberration and not representative of the nation's values.
Krugman is a Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He was a columnist for The New York Times from 2000 to 2024.
