Mary Trump - The Cost of Chaos

[dalton99a]

2. Expect higher and higher prices and product shortages

And yet, members of the Trump regime continue to insist that once the Strait of Hormuz reopens, prices will return to pre-war levels. That is not how any of this works. Even if the strait reopens tomorrow, the damage has already been done. Supply chains have been disrupted. Markets have reacted. Prices will remain elevated for a considerable period of time, not just in the United States, but around the world.

The numbers are staggering. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas estimates a 2.9 percentage point drop in global GDP growth in the second quarter of 2026 if the disruption continues. If it lasts for a full year, global GDP could fall by 1.3 percentage points. Estimated global losses are already around $20 billion per day. If current trends continue, total losses could approach $5 trillion.

In the United States, the Department of Agriculture projects food prices will rise by 3.6 percent in 2026 as a direct result of higher oil costs. Globally, the impact is even more severe. The Philippines has declared an energy emergency. Pakistan has been forced to close schools temporarily to conserve fuel. These are not abstract consequences. These are real decisions affecting real people.

Americans are still feeling the strain after years of elevated inflation following the global pandemic and the first Trump administration’s egregious mishandling of that crisis. The concept of affordability is not theoretical. It is a top voter issue. Donald has dismissed it as a hoax and a line of nonsense.