The Trump administration’s strategy of economic imperialism aims to restore American dominance through the fusion of resource control, coercive state power, and monetary pressure. The Justice Department investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell seeks to intimidate the central bank into slashing rates, weakening the dollar, and financing expansive geopolitical ambitions with cheap money. The military seizure of Venezuela fits squarely into this design, pairing open-ended occupation with the extraction of vast oil reserves to flood global markets, suppress inflation, and force monetary easing. The parallel push to acquire Greenland, marketed as national security, targets rare earth minerals and emerging Arctic trade routes, seeking to fracture China’s grip on the materials needed for modern defense and technology. Even the toppling of the Iranian government through internal rebellion serves a greater purpose, neutralizing a rival while tightening American leverage over Middle Eastern energy flows and future supply. Taken together, these moves point to a single endgame: the construction of a 21st-century American resource empire that spans continents, subordinates monetary policy to geopolitical expansion, channels reconstruction windfalls to domestic corporations, and positions Washington as the ultimate arbiter of global commodity markets.
EQUITY
The Trump administration threatening to indict Fed Chair Powell temporarily excites market volatility. Financial sector took a hit after President Trump's proposal for a one-year cap on credit card interest rates at 10%. Investors' focus turns to the headline inflation report and big banks' earnings. Analysts warned that excessive market optimism, already pricing in continued rate cuts and AI-driven growth, leaves equities vulnerable to setbacks if inflation proves persistent.
GOLD
Gold made another record high due to heightened safe-haven demand from internal issues like the targeting of Fed Chair Powell to geopolitical concerns like the Greenland acquisition, both initiated by the Trump administration. U.S. actions against Iran and Venezuela had also set a precedent where imperialism might spread to other non-nuclear proliferated countries, boosting both gold and silver.
OIL
Oil prices extend gains for a fourth session to multi-week highs with continued supply disruption primarily stemming from intensifying anti-government protests in Iran that have killed hundreds, while U.S. President Trump threatens military action and imposes 25% tariffs on nations trading with Tehran. Meanwhile, Venezuela's capture created an opportunity for increased exports, but U.S. oil corps like Exxon faced challenges regarding reentry due to unresolved debts and security concerns.
CURRENCY
The yen hit a 1-year low on February snap election fears, causing Tokyo and Washington to share concerns over its "one-sided depreciation." Japanese officials warned of imminent intervention against "excessive" speculative acts, citing tacit US approval. Meanwhile, the dollar climbed to a month high before dipping on probes into Fed Chair Powell ahead of the headline inflation report.
