President Trump's whiplash reversal on China tariffs may have less to do with geopolitics and more to do with his cryptocurrency portfolio, says economist Paul Krugman. On Friday, Trump threatened China with 100 percent tariffs, calling their rare earth export controls a "moral disgrace" and "obviously a plan devised by them years ago." Within 24 hours, he posted on social media that China "just had a bad moment" and praised "highly respected President Xi." What changed?

According to Krugman, the answer lies in the cryptocurrency markets. Bitcoin plunged 20 percent Friday following the tariff announcement. Trump's personal Bitcoin holdings, estimated at $870 million, took a substantial hit alongside the official Trump coin. The timing of his conciliatory tone toward China coincided precis

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