Economist Jeffrey Sachs launched a scathing critique of President Donald Trump, dismissing his claims of an imminent Iran deal as lies and comparing the president's rhetoric to that of Adolf Hitler.
Sachs, an economics professor and UN advisor, argued that nothing the president says can be taken as genuine. "I don't see anything ever coming from Donald Trump as genuine," Sachs said. "The man lies at every turn."
President Trump has asserted that the U.S. is very close to a deal with Iran, with possible talks resuming in Islamabad this weekend, claiming Tehran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium stockpile and forego nuclear weapons entirely. Sachs contended these announcements contradict the administration's actions, including moving thousands more troops to the Middle East and enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports during the two-week ceasefire.
Sachs delivered a personal condemnation of the president's character, calling Trump a tyrant and directly comparing his language to that of the Nazi leader. "This is Hitler speech," Sachs said. He added that he listens to the president only "with some frustration and amusement, but not for facts."
The economic costs of the escalating tensions are already mounting. The national average price of gasoline in the U.S. has climbed to $4.09 a gallon, substantially higher than the $3.17 average from a year ago. The Pentagon says the Iran conflict has already cost America over $11.3 billion in just the first six days.
A United Nations Development Programme report indicates output losses between $97 billion and $299 billion across the Asia Pacific region, with 32 million people globally potentially being pushed into poverty due to the conflict. Sachs described the situation as catastrophic.
The economist also criticized the administration's budgetary priorities, saying Trump submitted a $1.5 trillion budget for the Pentagon, a $500 billion increase. Sachs claimed that Trump is running up the debt at a completely unprecedented rate.
Expressing deep frustration with U.S. foreign policy, Sachs said he is ashamed at his country's government, calling it disgusting.
