Former New York Times columnist Paul Krugman took aim at Donald Trump in a savage takedown after the president insulted the Nobel Prize-winning economist.
Krugman, who was awarded the Nobel in economics in 2008, responded on his Substack after Trump branded him a “Deranged BUM” on Truth Social over the weekend. The attack followed Krugman’s criticism of Trump’s tariffs and his handling of a weaker-than-expected jobs report.
In a post on Tuesday titled “Trump Plays the Carnage Card,” Krugman described the insult as “a great honor” and joked, “I have now added ‘Deranged BUM’ to my Substack profile.”
Krugman then turned to Trump’s “takeover” of Washington, D.C, “where he has seized control of the city’s police force and sent in the National Guard.”
Trump ordered an “increased presence” of law enforcement after 19-year-old former DOGE staffer Edward “Big Balls” Coristine was, as he put it, “beaten mercilessly” in an alleged attempted carjacking in the city on Aug. 3.
The president posted a bloody photo of Coristine—who now works for the Social Security Administration—from the crime scene on his Truth Social account, before threatening a federal takeover of D.C. to lower the crime rate.
Trump claimed that crime was “out of control,” despite police data showing that violent crime in Washington dropped to a three-decade low last year.
Calling the depiction “malicious nonsense,” Krugman argued that Trump’s portrayal of the city was designed to instill fear and distract from economic concerns.
“Anyone who either lives there are looks at crime data knows that this is malicious nonsense. But we can’t take it for granted that the rest of the country will understand that that he’s lying,” he wrote.
“But will Trump be universally ridiculed for his absurd claims? Will people understand that what we’re seeing, aside from an attempt to seize even more power, is an attempt to change the subject from the weakening economy and the Epstein affair?” Krugman went on.
The economist was referring to MAGA conspiracy theories that Jeffrey Epstein, the pedophile financier and convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in New York City in August 2019, was killed to shield high-profile individuals, including Trump, Britain’s Prince Andrew, and former President Bill Clinton.
The Trump administration in February declassified and released files related to Epstein, but they were highly redacted and did not offer major revelations. A July memo from the DOJ and FBI said no additional material would be released and officially confirmed that Epstein’s death had been a suicide.
“Residents of DC will surely notice that Trump’s description of a violence-ridden dystopia bears no resemblance to the city they actually inhabit,” Krugman added.
Krugman told the Daily Beast this week he is “flattered” by the attention from Trump. “He must think people are listening,” Krugman added. “I might add ‘Deranged BUM’ to my profile.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
On Monday, Trump announced plans to send 800 National Guard troops to Washington and place the city’s police department under temporary federal control.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has slammed Trump, calling the president’s actions in the city an “authoritarian push.”
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