A well-known economist and Nobel Prize winner has strongly criticized Donald Trump, saying the military should stop going along with what he described as Trump’s unhealthy obsession with power and control. Paul Krugman argued that people in positions of authority, especially within the armed forces and the Republican Party, have a responsibility to push back instead of blindly following orders that cause harm.
Krugman said that military leaders should be willing to refuse orders they know are illegal or immoral. He warned that if they continue to obey without question, history will remember them as people who lacked courage and integrity. He made similar comments about Republican leaders, saying they are allowing Trump to act without consequences, even when his actions harm ordinary Americans.
These comments came after intense criticism of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, following the killing of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot by ICE agents. Around the same time, a separate shooting involving Border Patrol agents in Portland left two people hospitalized. These incidents have fueled public anger and concern about how immigration enforcement is being carried out.
Writing on his Substack, Krugman warned the military that continuing to support Trump’s behavior would only lead the country into more dangerous and unnecessary conflicts. He said Trump’s desire for praise and personal glory could push the United States into deeper international trouble, all to satisfy his ego rather than serve the nation’s interests.
Krugman pointed to Admiral Alvin Holsey as an example of someone who acted honorably by refusing an illegal order. He urged others to show the same kind of backbone. He also accused Republicans of standing by while Trump, through ICE, wages what Krugman described as a form of war against his own people. If they continue to allow this, he said, they will be remembered as people who chose loyalty over truth and power over principle.
He didn’t stop there. Krugman warned anyone enabling Trump’s behavior that history would judge them harshly if they failed to act. He said those who help carry out harmful policies would not escape responsibility, even after Trump eventually leaves office.
Krugman emphasized that Trump will not be in power forever, and he expressed hope that those who carried out abuses under his direction would one day be held personally accountable under the law. He made it clear that following orders would not be a valid excuse.
Like many other political commentators, Krugman has been outspoken in condemning ICE’s recent actions. He said that a president who truly cared about the people he governs would have seen Renee Good’s death as a clear sign that deportation tactics had become reckless and dangerous. Such a president, Krugman argued, would have immediately paused ICE operations and demanded a fair, independent, and timely federal investigation.
Instead, Krugman said Trump appears to see violence and chaos as useful tools rather than problems to be fixed. He accused Trump of intentionally sending armed, masked, and poorly trained agents into cities, knowing it would create fear and unrest. In Krugman’s view, this amounts to an attack on Americans themselves, similar in spirit to the assault on democratic institutions during the January 6 events.
Krugman concluded that Trump would rather turn his anger on the public than face accountability for his own actions. Rather than protecting the people he leads, Krugman believes Trump is willing to harm them if it helps him avoid responsibility.
