Diane Francis Newsletter

1 week ago | dianefrancis.substack.com | Diane Francis

Trump dined and schmoozed with 220 anonymous investors on May 22 at his Virginia golf club because they had collectively paid $394 million to buy his near-worthless crypto coin called $TRUMP. Their grubstakes ranged from $55,000 to $37.7 million, and the coins sank in value from $75 apiece in January to as low as $14. Coming on the heels of the $400-million jet “gift” by Qatar, it was another shabby display of payola and greed by the White House.

2 months ago | dianefrancis.substack.com | Diane Francis

Unsettling developments and policies tumble out of the Trump White House, upending geopolitics, unsettling millions, and disrupting markets and business. Inside America, Trump breaches norms, and badmouths or defunds time-worn institutions. And his intimidation grows abroad, punctuated by the mistreatment of Ukraine’s President in the Oval Office and continued with tariff and annexation threats against allies while treating psychopath Vladimir Putin with kid gloves.

2 months ago | dianefrancis.substack.com | Diane Francis

Two truce talks involving Donald Trump have failed in recent days. Vladimir Putin snubbed Trump’s push for a full 30-day ceasefire even after Ukraine agreed. Instead, Putin offered to refrain from striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days, then broke the truce hours later. In Gaza, the US talked with Hamas about a truce and a hostage exchange. Those deals fell apart, so Israel launched air strikes against Hamas in Gaza, and the US launched strikes against Iran’s Houthis in Yemen.

Feb 10, 2025 | dianefrancis.substack.com | Diane Francis

Donald Trump will reconstitute trade on February 11 by introducing “reciprocity” as America’s core principle behind its tariff rates. Throughout history, tariff rates have been used as carrots or sticks. Trump’s new criterion is that tariffs on imports from a country into America will match the charges the country adds to American exports. Tit for tat.

Feb 3, 2025 | dianefrancis.substack.com | Diane Francis

Donald Trump launched his geo-economic world war this weekend by mugging his neighbors, including friendly Canada, with a population of 40 million polite and compliant people. It was a classic bully move. Instead of taking on the most significant, meanest kid on the block – Russia – or the biggest, most successful foe – China -- he picked on the scrawny, nice kid north of the border who never causes trouble.