An economist and former candidate for U.S. President Donald Trump for the position of head of the Federal Bureau of Statistics, A.J. Anthony, stated that the American economy is too weak to handle the oil price that has skyrocketed to $100 per barrel due to the war with Iran, reports the Financial Times (FT). The publication describes Anthony as an ally of Trump.

"I don't think our economy will be able to withstand oil prices of $100 per barrel, [it] simply won't hold up," the economist believes. According to him, the U.S. economy is "weaker than we assumed," and inflation is "worse than we thought."

In 2025, there was a trend toward falling prices, but now, due to rising energy costs, the opposite effect is expected, Anthony believes. His comments came a day after Joe Kent, the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, resigned over disagreements with the war against Iran, reports FT. The publication describes this as the first significant case of "desertion" in the Trump administration.