Justin Wolfers on the absurdities of Trump’s America

Justin Wolfers on the absurdities of Trump’s America

July 10, 2026 · 40 min

About this episode

Justin Wolfers discusses the complexities of the US economy and Trump-era policies with Alan Kohler.

Justin Wolfers has spent 25 years in the United States watching the world’s biggest economy from close range - and from the useful distance of an Australian accent that still cuts through the absurdity. A former Reserve Bank economist and now Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan, Wolfers has become one of America’s sharpest economic communicators. He joins Alan Kohler to talk about the health of the US economy, the chaos of Trump-era policymaking, the folly of tariffs, the importance of immigration, and why the decisions made in Washington still ripple all the way to Australia. They also get into housing, climate change, AI, and the Federal Reserve under Kevin Warsh. And because this is America in 2026, Alan also asks the obvious question: did Justin Wolfers make the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce wedding guest list? And what does the whole spectacle say about celebrity, wealth and power in modern America? Justin Wolfers and Alan Kohler unpack it all on That's Business with Alan Kohler. Got a burning business question? Send a short voice recording to the ABC Business Daily team at abcbusinessdaily@abc.net.au

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