Trumponomics How Trump Sees Economic Survival at the Heart of National Security
Dec 10, 2025
Adam Farrar, a senior geoeconomics analyst at Bloomberg and former National Security Council director, joins Shawn Donnan, Bloomberg's senior writer on the economy. They delve into Trump's national security strategy, emphasizing that economic power is central to national security. The conversation explores how this shift prioritizes U.S. economic interests over traditional security matters, the tensions in chip exports to China, and the document's appeal to domestic voters rather than international allies. They also discuss contradictions and the strategy's practical implications for officials.
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Economy As National Security
- The Trump national security strategy centers US economic and business interests as primary security goals.
- The document reframes traditional security through an "America's economy first" lens.
Trade Framed As A Security Threat
- The strategy equates unfair trade practices with military threats and espionage.
- It pushes economic tools to the same priority level as classical security threats.
Strategic Shift Toward Geoeconomics
- Trump has institutionalized economic security as the central strategic principle.
- This marks a durable shift where economic leverage drives diplomatic and defense decisions.