Donald J. Trump (47) won the election in a historic comeback after the 2020 loss, multiple indictments and nearly losing his life. He has been imposing his will on the system over the last two weeks through Cabinet nominations — Gaetz for Attorney General, RFK for Health and Human Services, Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, the newly formed Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE).

Primarily, I am anxiously waiting to learn his selections for the commercial and finance-related Cabinet leaders — Treasury, Commerce, Management and Budget, Small Business Administration and Science and Technology, in particular. Secondarily, the people appointed to serve as ambassadors will be interesting. I am curious to see who will be our eyes and ears on the ground in China and India.

The point here is not whether bulls or bears are right or wrong within the snapshot of this moment, or whether critics of Biden in 2024 or Trump in 2025 are off base or on the money. Instead, I am curious about the same thing Benjamin Roth was: this moment is a reminder that our economic security always rests on a complex interaction of market forces, domestic politics, consumer perception, and international affairs. There are general trends to economics that persist despite small changes along the way.