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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ray Dalio issues his most dire warning to America yet: The ballooning $37 trillion debt will trigger an ‘economic heart attack'
Hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio is known for his dire warnings about the economy and the national debt, but he just issued one of his starkest warnings to date, likening the United States' mounting debt crisis to an impending 'economic heart attack' and urging policymakers to revisit the fiscal discipline that characterized the 1990s boom years. Dalio's alarm, sounded in a series of social media posts and interviews, including with Fortune's Diane Brady, comes as the national debt nears $37 trillion and the federal deficit continues to swell, fueling bipartisan anxieties about the country's financial health. Dalio, founder of the world's largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, described America's deficit spiral in dramatic—and visceral—terms. 'We're spending 40% more than we're taking in, and this is a chronic problem,' he said in a recent appearance on Fox Business. 'What you're seeing is the debt service payments … well into squeezing away, so it's like plaque in the arteries squeezing away buying power.' The analogy underscores a grim reality: Debt service payments have ballooned as a share of government spending, increasingly crowding out funds for other priorities. Dalio warns the U.S. is near a tipping point where it must issue new debt merely to pay interest on existing obligations—a cycle that he says could trigger not just a financial shock but a systemic breakdown reminiscent of cardiac arrest. We've got to go back, he argues—back to the '90s. A blueprint for recovery Dalio contends that there is still a way out—as long as the country acts with unity and resolve. He points to the '90s as a model for bipartisan problem-solving, fiscal restraint, and balanced economic growth. 'If we change spending and income (tax returns) by 4% while the economy is still good,' he wrote on Twitter, 'the interest rate will go down as a result, and we'll be in a much better situation.' He added that we know this kind of balance can happen because it happened before, from 1991 to 1998, referencing how both spending controls and targeted tax measures restored equilibrium in the 1990s. Dalio suggests that by trimming the federal deficit to 3% of GDP—levels last sustained during the Clinton era—the U.S. could stabilize markets, tame interest payments, and avoid a crisis. In a CNBC appearance in early July, Dalio put the odds at over 50% that a financial 'trauma' will result from the debt not being dealt with properly. Past warnings This is far from the first dire warning to come from Dalio on the state of the U.S. economy. In the past five years, he has voiced concerns about the debt created to fight the financial effects of the pandemic, both inflation and stagflation, and even a looming recession. Although a recession has not set in since the COVID-related crash of 2020, Dalio warned that rising asset prices weren't creating real wealth, as inflation was eroding purchasing power. A consistent theme of Dalio's warnings is that the disease may be worse than the cure, criticizing policymakers likely to act only when inflation became critical and the dollar's value had materially eroded. He has voiced variations of his 'heart attack' and 'plaque' critique since 2024. Despite offering a clear prescription, Dalio expresses skepticism that current political dynamics will allow for compromise or the hard choices required. 'My fear is that we will probably not make these needed cuts due to political reasons,' he wrote on Twitter, warning that absolutism in Washington could doom efforts to put the country's fiscal house in order. The consequences, Dalio argues, would be severe and far-reaching: sustained government overspending, rising debt service burdens, and a loss of confidence among buyers of U.S. Treasuries. This scenario, he says, could escalate into what he calls a 'serious supply-demand problem,' where the market refuses to fund America's borrowing habits at sustainable rates, catalyzing a financial crisis with global shock waves. The April fall in the 10-year Treasury bond market was a tremor of just such a refusal from foreign investors, who seemed to balk at President Donald Trump's planned tariffs being much more aggressive than expected. Dalio's repeated invocations of the 1990s are more than nostalgia—they are a call to bipartisan pragmatism and shared sacrifice. He warns that failure to act now, with the economy still on stable footing, will only raise the costs (and pain) of inevitable reforms. Although Dalio did not comment on it, the debt situation has actually worsened throughout 2025, with legislation passing through Congress that is set to expand the debt for years to come. Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act will add $3.4 trillion to deficits over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fox News
14 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
Charles Payne: Trump's tariffs will generate trillions in revenue
FOX Business' Charles Payne joins 'Fox & Friends' to break down President Donald Trump's latest trade deals with Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Sen. John Kennedy, 73, clarifies why he froze up on live TV
Soundbite savant Sen. John Kennedy clarified that he didn't suffer a stroke or catch a sexually transmitted disease when he dramatically froze up mid-sentence live on air Tuesday during a Fox Business hit. The one-liner whiz fired back at lefty critics for speculating he suffered a medical scare after what looked like troubling footage of the 73-year-old growing stonefaced went viral on social media. 'Yesterday I was on your show. I enjoyed it. I was just yapping away, and all of a sudden, my earpiece blew up. This one — it sounded like a 747 was taking off,' Kennedy told host Larry Kudlow on Wednesday, motioning to his earpiece. 'Man, my ears are still ringing. Anyway, so I just, assumed we were off air. I just stopped talking, and I didn't start talking again until I could hear you.' A day prior, Kennedy had been discussing the Trump administration's crackdown on sanctuary cities, when suddenly he trailed off mid-sentence before staring blankly off to the side. 4 Sen. John Kennedy wants the world to know that he didn't get an STD live on TV. FOX 4 The Louisiana Republican is famous for his snappy one-liners. REUTERS 'Jesus loves them, but everybody else thinks …' the Louisiana senator riffed before mumbling quietly. 'Everybody else thinks,' he repeated, then turned blankly with his mouth agape. Kudlow then interjected at the time after several seconds of Kennedy looking blankly into the camera and cut him off, claiming there were 'technical problems.' 'That was the same mic we lost with Sen. Rand Paul,' Kudlow added. Paul (R-Ky.) had done an interview on his program before Kennedy and, at one point, complained mid-interview about losing his connection to the program. The Louisiana Republican later returned to the air Tuesday, about half a minute after the incident and was still mired by technical issues and trouble hearing Kudlow. Kudlow seemed to corroborate Kennedy's claim that there was a technical issue, stressing 'I think that's all that happened' and 'a lot of people are making conclusions about your health that they had no business making.' 4 Sen. John Kennedy ripped into coverage of what appeared to be a freeze-up of his live on television. AP 'I don't know, some of the rags up here have they've got all kind of stories that I had a brain freeze live on TV or a stroke or caught an STD live on television or something?' Kennedy quipped about the media speculation after the incident. 'I'm OK, I'm here. I'm back here today. I'm full of piss and vinegar.' When questioned about the incident, Kennedy's office sent a statement to The Post from the senator explaining 'there was a malfunction in my earpiece. 'I heard a loud screeching noise with a lot of static.' Before the clarification, speculation quickly swirled about Kennedy, and some observers drew comparisons to Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) repeated freeze-ups in the public eye. 4 Sen. Mitch McConnell had frozen up several times during the end of his time as Senate GOP leader. AP McConnell's team later chalked up the health scares to a concussion he suffered from a fall in March 2023. The former leader of the Senate GOP later announced that he would not be seeking reelection in 2026. Concerns about the health and vitality of lawmakers have been elevated over recent months. This year alone, three House Democrats died from illnesses or old age. Democrats in particular have been forced to reckon with former President Joe Biden's mental acuity amid a string of new revelations about the 82-year-old's condition.
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business
- Business Insider
The Trump-Powell feud has entered a strange new chapter
The fight over the fate of Fed chair Jerome Powell has heated up in the last week. But the messaging is uneven, with Trump saying Tuesday Powell can finish his term. Others keep bashing Powell. Sen. Mike Lee reportedly published a fake resignation letter on Tuesday. The president's fight with is in a weird phase. The president hasn't followed through with his reported plans to fire Jerome Powell or announce a new central bank chief months in advance, but members of the Trump administration seem to be sending conflicting messages over whether the Fed leader should be removed, investigated, or left alone. Should he stay or should he go? On Tuesday, Trump struck a more moderate tone when speaking about Powell. The president doubled down on his criticisms of the Fed chief but suggested he would let Powell ride out the rest of his term, which ends in May of next year. "I think he's done a bad job, but he's going to be out pretty soon anyway. In eight months, he'll be out," Trump said at a conference in the White House. He continued: "But you know what? People aren't able to buy a house because this guy is a numbskull. He keeps the rates too high, and is probably doing it for political reasons." US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also toned down his harshest criticisms of the Fed Chair this week. Speaking to Fox Business on Tuesday, Bessent said Powell didn't need to step down from his post, but added that his earlier calls for an intensive review of the Federal Reserve were still on. "There's nothing that tells me that he should step down right now. He's been a good public servant," Bessent said. "His term ends in May. If he wants to see that through, I think he should. If he wants to leave early, I think he should." It's a sharp divergence from just a week ago, when reports surfaced that Trump was ready to fire Powell. The Wall Street Journal reported that Bessent ultimately talked him out of it, though Bessent has denied this is the case. Still, it's difficult to tell at this point what the administration aims to do. Firing the Fed chair would be illegal based on a Supreme Court ruling this year regarding the president's power to fire independent agency heads. Trump's team thinks it's found a loophole to fire Powell for cause, taking aim at the renovation of the Fed building, which Trump and his allies have said Powell has mismanaged. And yet, tven as Trump and Bessent tone things down, other Powell critics are keeping up the pressure. Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency who has bashed Powell in the past, called on the Fed Chair to quit in an interview with Fox Business last week. "We got one guy in the form of Jerome Powell, who's sitting there like an obnoxious, arrogant pompous person," Pulte said, adding that high borrowing costs were hurting Americans. "It's time for Jerome Powell to resign." Pulte's recent comments later faced pushback from Senator Elizabeth Warren on Monday. "Your job is to manage FHFA, oversee our nation's mortgage market, and lower costs for American families—full stop. Your prolific activity on X and apparent decision to take time away from your duties as FHFA Director to draft a letter for President Trump to fire Chair Powell are abnormal," Warren said in a statement, which added that Pulte had posted or re-posted content about Powell more than 100 times since the beginning of July. Rounding out the list of the latest Fed drama, Republican Sen. Mike Lee reportedly published a false resignation letter that appeared to be written by Powell on his X account on Tuesday. The post has since been deleted. Spokespeople for Sen. Lee, the White House, and the FHFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider. Markets see turmoil from the feud Trump has feuded with Powell for years. The president has criticized the Fed's reluctance to lower interest rates and repeatedly called on Powell to slash borrowing costs. Market pros generally don't think ousting the Fed Chair is a good idea. The Fed lowering interest rates prematurely could fuel a rise in inflation and lower the central bank's credibility, both of which would be damaging to financial markets. Ed Yardeni, the president of Yardeni Research, said in a note to clients that the US Dollar Index shifted lower while the price of gold saw a small surge after Bessent's recent remarks on Powell. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has also warned that markets could "crash" if Trump ends up firing Powell prematurely. "The best thing that Powell can do right now, is to stay in his job," Michael Brown, a senior research strategist at Pepperstone, wrote in a note on Wednesday. "Resigning, which to be clear is a highly unlikely outcome, would simply be Powell surrendering to the shameless, bully-boy tactics that have become the Oval Office's trademark of late, while also resulting in the entire idea of monetary policy independence going up in smoke." Yet, some top economists have argued that Powell would actually be protecting Fed independence if he steps down. Mohamed El-Erian and Jeremy Siegel both said this week that Powell's resignation might be a good outcome of the feud with Trump.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Frightening moment 73-year-old Louisiana senator freezes during TV interview about sanctuary cities
The frightening moment a Louisiana republican senator suddenly froze during a TV interview has been caught on air. Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, 73, left viewers stunned during a live Fox Business interview when he abruptly froze mid-sentence and sat silently on screen for a full seven seconds. Kennedy was speaking to host Larry Kudlow on Tuesday about the Trump administration's stance on sanctuary cities when the concerning moment occurred. The senator began to trail off while referencing how Jesus loves immigrants. 'Jesus loves them, but everybody else thinks ….' Kennedy said, before mumbling a few barely-audible words. 'Everybody else thinks…' he repeated before looking off into the distance and going completely silent. The senator remained frozen on camera with his lips slightly parted and eyes staring forward as he stood motionless. Kudlow appeared caught off guard but quickly cut in and blamed the bizarre moment on an apparent tech issue. Kennedy was speaking to host Larry Kudlow on Tuesday about the Trump administration's stance on sanctuary cities when the concerning moment occurred (pictured speaking at a hearing in DC earlier this month) 'I guess we had some more technical problems. That was the same mic we lost with Senator Rand Paul,' Kudlow said. The senator's office has not yet responded to request for comment. The incident comes not long after another Republican senator experienced a similar frightening freeze on air. Former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 82, suffered two similar on-camera 'freezing' episodes last year both of which raised serious health concerns. In August 2023, McConnell froze for 30 seconds when asked if he will run for re-election in Kentucky as he made another troubling appearance just weeks after suddenly stopping in the middle of a press conference. The then-81-year-old Senate Minority leader didn't respond when a reporter pressed him on his future in a scene eerily similar to that Capitol Hill event last month where colleagues had to intervene. McConnell appeared to register the question about whether he would run for re-election in 2026 during the event before he abruptly went silent and stared straight ahead. An aide had to step in and repeat the question at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Government Forum in Covington. He was then led away, sparking more concerns about his health and further questions over his position in the GOP leadership. McConnell's office later said the senator was 'lightheaded', and insisted he was 'fine', but he would consult a doctor as a precaution. This comes after the recent sudden deaths of three democratic lawmakers. Texas Rep. Sylvester Turner, 70, has passed away in March of this year. Also in March, longtime Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva passed away after a battle with cancer. And in May, Congressman Gerry Connolly died at the age of 75. The Virginia Democrat 'passed away peacefully at his home,' according to a statement from his family.
