Hassett, who worked in the Trump administration as the Council of Economic Advisers chairman, made his warning while the former president continues his hush money trial in. Hassett specifically criticized Judge Juan Merchan for making “unconstitutional” rulings against the former president, claiming that “it really looks like there’s a conspiracy” to put Trump behind bars.
“And if President Trump is in chains, going to Rikers Island, then would you want to buy U.S. Treasury the next day?” Hassett asked on Fox Business’s. “The thing that I’m really worried about, about short-term risks for the economy, is that the Democrats are serious in this lawfare, and if they actually succeed, then imagine, it’s like we become a banana republic the moment they take them to Rikers, and I just can’t imagine what happens to Treasury markets that day.