2026-01-17
46 分钟The Economist.
A foreign head of state sits in a New York jail,
while thousands of federal agents roam the streets of Minnesota.
Why? Because Donald Trump won the 2024 election, of course.
There are hundreds of reasons why he won that vote.
The weakness of his opponent, immigrants flowing across the southern border,
the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, to name just a few.
But you could make a case that it was the price of eggs.
In 2022 alone, eggs went from less than two bucks a dozen to more than four.
Bird flu was partly to blame.
But to voters, the reasons really didn't matter.
And when they cast their ballots in 2024,
they, as usual, listed the economy as their top issue.
That helped Trump win.
After all, he promised to end inflation on day one.
So you could make a case that without that bird flu,
there would have been no army helicopters in Caracas,
no mass deportation campaign
or questions about whether America will swallow Greenland.
I'm John Prideaux, and this is Checks and Balance from The Economist.