Trump vs. the Globalists: Is a New Financial Order Taking Shape? | Susan Kokinda & Michelle Makori

Summary

Michelle Makori interviews Susan Kokinda, who frames Trump’s presidency as a struggle between two economic and political models. She calls one the “American system”: national sovereignty, industrial production, infrastructure, energy development, and technological progress. She contrasts it with what she describes as a British-rooted global financial order that concentrates power in international institutions and favors financial speculation and free trade over national production.

Kokinda argues that the Trump administration understands this conflict and is seeking to restore U.S. economic independence. She points to Trump’s tariffs and administration officials’ criticism of globalism, as well as efforts to encourage domestic manufacturing through tax incentives, government-backed lending, and investment in strategic industries. She cites a reported increase of 78,000 manufacturing jobs and says she is tracking 55 new or expanded production sites, while acknowledging that most Americans may not yet feel the effects.

On monetary policy, Kokinda says the dollar’s reserve-currency role has become a source of vulnerability since the end of dollar-gold convertibility in 1971. She interprets Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s remarks about currency instability as a sign that the administration is considering broader reform. She also sees Judy Shelton’s appointment as an adviser as significant because Shelton has advocated stable money and a possible return to a gold-linked, Bretton Woods-style system. Kokinda cautions that the current financial structure is fragile and that an abrupt disruption could cause chaos. She favors addressing U.S. debt through growth and productive investment rather than relying mainly on spending cuts.

Kokinda rejects the criticism that Trump’s policies simply serve wealthy interests. She distinguishes wealth from “oligarchy,” which she defines as a system that entrenches the power of a few while leaving the wider population economically dependent. In her view, rebuilding well-paid manufacturing work would strengthen the working and middle classes.

The discussion also covers Kokinda’s broader claims about global influence. She identifies institutions such as Chatham House, the Council on Foreign Relations, the World Economic Forum, the IMF, and the World Bank as parts of a globalist network. She alleges that British imperial interests have historically sought to weaken U.S. sovereignty and makes claims linking British influence to the assassinations or attempted assassinations of several U.S. presidents. She also argues that British policy helped foster political Islam and that George Soros’s ideas and funding have supported movements that undermine national cultures. These are presented as Kokinda’s interpretations and allegations during the interview, not as independently established findings.

On the 2026 midterms, Kokinda says the outcome may depend on whether voters focus on immediate costs, such as fuel and food prices, or on the longer-term promise of industrial revival. She expects a Democratic takeover of Congress would bring investigations and impeachment efforts but doubts it could stop Trump’s agenda, given presidential veto powers and the administration’s ability to act through executive measures, tariffs, and investment initiatives.

Regarding Iran, Kokinda says economic pressure may be more important than military action, though she does not rule out limited strikes. She says Trump would prefer not to destroy the country and predicts he may try to resolve the Strait of Hormuz issue after the midterms. She also discusses the possibility of a Trump–Putin–Xi meeting, arguing that dialogue among major powers could support a new international financial system and reduce conflict. She says China presents a more complicated case than Russia, but that Trump’s approach is to deal with countries as sovereign actors.

Kokinda concludes that the stakes are whether the U.S. can revive its industrial and sovereign economic model. She urges viewers to understand the principles behind the conflict, arguing that individual sovereignty depends on understanding how political and financial systems work.

Presenters and contributors: Michelle Makori (presenter/interviewer); Susan Kokinda (guest).