Trump-Carney; Smoot Hawley
This weekend we witnessed a first-time use of Smoot-Hawley in American history: Trump actually deployed Section 338 of the Depression-era law against Canada. IMO, this is serious.
August 23, 2026
David R. Kotok co-founded Cumberland Advisors in 1973 and during his career served as its Chief Investment Officer, CEO, and Board Chairman. Today, he serves as a Strategic Advisors to the firm and continues to write regular commentaries, author books & pamphlets, and speak at public events. David holds a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. in organizational dynamics from the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania.
This weekend we witnessed a first-time use of Smoot-Hawley in American history: Trump actually deployed Section 338 of the Depression-era law against Canada. IMO, this is serious.
Our pre-dinner deck chat at Leen’s Lodge on Sunday, August 9, focused on gold, USA creditworthiness, and China’s payments system versus the US payment system. Are we looking at a Bretton Woods 2.0?
We’re cooking up some serious AI conversations along with our fish in Maine. One of our panels during the gathering focused on AI. Two experts contributed, and Eric Hale moderated with aplomb and élan. The Q&A and the continuing post-panel conversation were fierce. There is a report on the panel, along with the associated survey; and in it there can be found 16 AI usage recommendations.
David R. Kotok’s financial market commentaries have appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Barron’s, and he has appeared on Bloomberg TV, Bloomberg Radio, Yahoo Finance TV, and other traditional & digital media outlets. He also shares his perspective on his own YouTube channel: youtube.com/@David-R-Kotok
