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| Herbert Hoover |
Donald Trump defended the agreement to end the war that he started with Iran, saying he wanted to avoid an “economic catastrophe.”
He told reporters his invasion of Iran was tanking the stock market, and that he didn’t want to be remembered as a modern-day Herbert Hoover, who was president during he 1929 stock market crash. “He was always the one that I didn’t want to be,” said Trump.
In the strange coincidence department, Trump made his remarks on June 17, the same day that Hoover signed the infamous Trade Act of 1930 into law.
Known as the Smoot-Harley Tariff Act, it worsened the Great Depression and solidified Hoover’s reputation as one of America’s worst presidents.
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Trump, though, outdid Hoover. His reciprocal tariffs pushed the average U.S. import duty to over 22 percent, surpassing the rates set by Smoot-Hawley.
A survey of historians by the Council on Foreign Relations rates Smoot-Harley the 21st worst foreign policy decision in US history.
The invasion of Iraq tops the list, followed by the deployment of combat forces to Vietnam and the Indian Removal Act.
Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement makes the worst decision list in the No. 7 slot. His decision to invade Iran is destined to take its rightful place in the Top Ten space.
As for Hoover’s role in US history. The 2024 Presidential Greatness Project conducted by professors Brandon Rottinghaus (University of Houston) and Justin Vaughan (Coastal Carolina University) has Hoover in the 36th position.
Our current president is dead last for his performance during his first term in office, Trump beat out presidential disasters James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson and Franklin Pierce.
Trump’s second term isn’t going to rocket him up the rankings.
‘AI Gold Rush’ Powers Adland… Despite the geopolitical mess, high gas prices, and negative consumer sentiment, WPP Media projects 2026 ad revenues to grow a robust 8.9 percent to $1.3T.
Artificial intelligence provides a “powerful countervailing force to external economic headwinds,” wrote Kate Scott-Dawkins, global president of business intelligence at WPP Media. Companies at the center of the AI Gold Rush are digital service providers, offering search, communication, commerce, entertainment, and increasingly AI-powered assistance to billions of consumers.
As AI capabilities are rolled out through chatbots, agent-based services, AI-generated content and device-level intelligence, advertising is to be the primary economic mechanism that makes these services accessible and affordable at scale, notes the hopeful WPP.
PR should take a cut of that AI action.
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Should have known better... Considering the tension between the two countries, it’s not a good idea to stage a yoga publicity stunt on China’s Great Wall featuring a giant Japanese drum.
That’s what Lululemon did, drawing a fierce backlash on China’s social media platform. The activewear company issued an apology on Weibo. “Due to limitations in our professional knowledge, we were unable to identify potential controversies,” it said.
That’s pretty weak tea. China is a key market for Lululemon. Revenues from that country rose 29 percent to $1.8B for the year ended January.
In its annual report, Lululemon promised to continue to invest in China. It should earmark a chunk of that investment for PR.
A PR person would have known that Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi said that a Chinese military attack or blockade of Taiwan would trigger an "existential crisis" or "survival-threatening situation" for Japan. China’s government took her statement to mean that Japan would respond militarily to a move on Taiwan.
A PR person would have advised Lululemon to ditch the Japanese drum.
New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israel, is more popular among American Jews than prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu... Donald Trump is the first leader since Benito Mussolini in 1934 to intervene publicly in his national team’s favor... It's surprising that JD Vance hardly uses the word "Catholic" in his memoir about his conversion to Catholicism.
President Trump killed much of the positive PR that the US has enjoyed as one of the co-hosts of the World Cup... Pride in the US sinks to 25-year low, Gallup finds... White House trashes Smithsonian's US History Museum as the MAGA version of un-American.
Donald Trump claims we are all profiting from Wall Street's rising prices, but the billion-dollar president sure did a lot better than the rest of us... Venezuela hopes the $300M in US reconstructiion aid will follow the same growth trajectory as the White House's East Wing ballroom project.
Brands need to boost their PR to get noticed in today’s AI-oriented world, according to McKinsey & Co.’s “State of the Consumer 2026” report... Reevemark hits Chambers jackpot. All five of the founding partners of New York strategic communications firm were recognized in the prestigious Chambers and Partners rankings... SpaceX's $25B bond sale on the heels of $86B IPO signals that markets are entering “bubble territory.” 
LLYC has prepared a comprehensive must-read report on the rise of “Rainbow Ghosting” which it defines as the progressive withdrawal of public support for diversity... Success of the US men's World Cup team highlights the benefits of a welcoming immigration policy... Omnicom develops system to help marketers decide which sports fans to connect with.
