Zanny Minton-Beddoes

What's interesting is that this is done with such a sort of clear political condition, you know, as I think President Trump said pretty explicitly, we're going to pull the plug if he doesn't win.

So it's one country rather than the International Monetary Fund has for decades supported Argentina.

The U.S.

is now coming in with its own strategy.

sort of bilateral support plan, but very clearly, as you say, for a political ally.

It's an odd thing for the US to do, given that just earlier this year, it's pulled back from all manner of USAID and foreign assistance of all sorts.

So it's showing that the United States under the Trump administration is indeed willing to support countries if they are countries where it particularly likes the leadership.

Let me give you the best case.

The best case is that the damage from the tariffs is limited.

Modest corrosion of US competitiveness, nothing too terrible.

That the damage from immigration is such that they don't go full restrictionist, but they do continue to make America be a place that welcomes particularly the highly skilled.

And that

the AI revolution is both an elixir for the economy, but not so sudden that it causes extraordinary disruptions in the job market.

If all of those things go well, then the United States, I think, will remain the most dynamic economy in the world.

And it will be able to

essentially absorb these shocks if they're not too big.

And I've learned in, gosh, almost 30 years about writing about the US economy that you bet against it at your peril.

And there are far more times that I have written pieces saying the US is heading for a terrible period and been wrong than the converse.

So I'm generally...

So my my upbeat case would be this is a huge country full of very incredibly hardworking, smart people, a magnet for talent from around the world.