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Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 195

Shake Up

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 195: Shake Up

Promised Economic Boom Collides With Costs of War

March 15, 2026 · 6:15 am ET · Leave a Comment

“To President Trump, the U.S. economy appeared to be moving in his direction at the turn of the year,” the New York Times reports.

“The stock market was buoyant, prices had started to level out and White House officials saw ample evidence for robust growth on the horizon. There were mounting signs of strain, but the president projected optimism anyway, as he tried to convince a restive public that the nation’s fortunes had improved.”

“But that was before Mr. Trump started the war in Iran in a move that has unnerved consumers and businesses around the world. Now, by his own hand, the president has upended his vision for the nation’s economic trajectory, creating a new set of hazards months before the midterm elections.”

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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