# Paul Krugman — "non compos mentis" > [!quote] "In any kind of normally functioning political system… we would have a massive bipartisan call across the aisle… to say okay this guy is non compos mentis. We cannot leave the fate of the United States or the world in the hands of somebody who is completely irrational, who is making demands and believing himself to have powers that he does not." > — Paul Krugman, newsletter, July 8, 2026 ## Context Economist [[Paul Krugman]] wrote that [[Donald Trump]]'s order to cut off all trade with [[Spain]] — announced at the [[NATO Summit Ankara 2026]] — was a "non-event" that was "not something that is real," since the president lacks the authority and Spain trades as part of the European Union. His larger point was about what the "completely crazy" declaration revealed about the president's state of mind. ## Why This Matters Krugman used a legally hollow trade threat as evidence of a deeper problem — a president "making demands and believing himself to have powers that he does not" — and faulted the political system for failing to respond. It pairs with [[J.B. Pritzker]]'s dementia comment as part of the July 2026 elite questioning of Trump's fitness. ## See Also - [[NATO Summit Ankara 2026]] - [[Spain]] - [[Donald Trump - I dont want to do any more trade with Spain]] - [[J.B. Pritzker - Donald Trump is suffering from dementia]]