episode-header-image

Mar 2025

17m 36s

Swamp Notes: Why Trump may want a weaker...

Financial Times

About this episode

This week, the value of the American dollar continued to decline. The plunge has been attributed to market volatility over President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs. But there are some on Trump’s economic team who have floated wanting to weaken the dollar intentionally. FT economics columnist Gillian Tett and Unhedged host Katie Martin join to discuss why the chaos that’s keeping investors worried may be a feature, not a bug.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Unhedged Podcast

What a Mar-a-Lago accord could look like

Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here

Swamp Notes is produced by Katya Kumkova. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next

Artificial intimacy: How to fall in love with AI

Introducing Artificial intimacy from Tech Tonic. For the next episodes in this season go to the Tech Tonic feed.Calder Quinn has fallen into a relationship with a chatbot called Sara. She’s kind, emotionally intelligent and creatively inspiring. But how can he tell his wife he is ... Show More

US-Iran war boosts Russian oil revenues

Gulf oil producers have lost billions of dollars in energy revenues since the start of the US-Iran war, but there is one country benefiting: Russia. It is earning as much as $150mn a day in extra budget revenues from its oil sales. Plus, the FT’s defence and security corresponden ... Show More

Hold on — tech stocks are a safe haven now?

The International Energy Agency has launched the largest release of strategic oil reserves in its history, investors have sought shelter from the turmoil of the war in Iran in US tech stocks and US inflation held steady at 2.4 per cent in February. Plus, the war has threatened th ... Show More

Recommended Episodes

Will Trump’s tariffs make Europe great again?

<p>European stock indices have outperformed the S&P 500 so far this year. The FT’s Aiden Reiter joins Katie Martin to discuss why investors are finally looking beyond US stocks and why Donald Trump’s policies could accidentally benefit global exporters. Also, we go short post ... Show More

Trump 2.0: Where Is The Economy Headed?

President Trump’s deportations, tariffs, federal layoffs and funding suspensions have generated nonstop headlines and frayed confidence, yet left surprisingly little trace on the economy. Hiring, spending and inflation look a lot like they did under Joe Biden. As Trump’s first 10 ... Show More

Trump suggests China tariffs will fall

President Trump says tariffs on China “will not be anywhere near 145%” but won’t be removed all together. It follows US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying he expected a ‘de escalation’ in US China tariffs.The International Monetary Fund has revised its global growth forecast ... Show More

How Asia is coping with Trump’s tariffs. With Mari Pangestu

President Donald Trump thinks that Asia's goods exports are automatically America's loss and as part of his ‘reciprocal’ tariff policy, he has imposed some of the highest import taxes on goods from south-east Asia. So what does this mean for the region? And are Trump's policies p ... Show More

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: Tariffs, TikTok, & A Duel 9/16/25

<p>On the ground in London for the President’s state visit, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discusses tariffs, a potential trade deal with China, Federal Reserve independence, and reports of a spar between himself and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte. Plus, <a ... Show More