They’re Not Saving the Republic, They’re Building Fortress North America | Brent Johnson

Mentor Sessions Ep 094: Brent Johnson explains the 2026 dollar outlook, the collapse of the rules-based order, Bessent's Treasury moves, and how AI and stablecoins entrench the US dollar.

The rules-based order that kept markets stable for 80 years is dying - and Brent Johnson explains what replaces it, why the US dollar gets STRONGER not weaker, and how AI and stablecoins entrench American power for decades.

Brent Johnson (Santiago Capital, Dollar Milkshake Theory) sits down for a wide-ranging conversation on the biggest structural shift in markets since World War Two. You'll learn why he thinks the American Republic could give way to an American empire, why Scott Bessent's Treasury buybacks matter more than the headlines suggest, and how passive management can turn a bond wobble into a full crisis. You'll see why he's concentrated in North America and the Western Hemisphere, why he calls the US-China relationship a "divorce," and why he refuses to bet against the US Treasury even as others call for the dollar's death. He also breaks down why AI is now a matter of national security, why stablecoins are structurally bullish for the dollar, and where Bitcoin fits in the emerging digital-asset order.

⏱️ Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 1:17 - Iran War and Dollar System Resilience 4:10 - Iran Conflict Pressure on Treasury Yields 5:41 - Rising Yields Create Global Collateral Strain 8:25 - Bessent Long-End Buybacks Explained 10:20 - Mike Green on Passive Bond Risks 11:48 - Rules-Based Order Has Ended 13:39 - Shift to America First Proactive Policy 17:31 - Signs the Rules-Based Order Is Dying 18:27 - Vance and Rubio Munich Security Speeches 21:41 - China Also Wants Strategic Divorce 23:26 - Multipolar World or US Remains Dominant 24:44 - American Republic Falls Into Empire 27:00 - Republic Versus Empire and Authoritarianism 31:07 - Positioning Portfolios Amid Geopolitical Chaos 33:28 - Building Fortress North America Strategy 35:19 - Canada US Relationship Realities 39:41 - Energy Trade War Leverage Analysis 44:16 - Bessent Druckenmiller Soros Trading Lineage 48:51 - Market Outlook Violently Sideways Year End 53:01 - AI Now National Security Priority 57:02 - AI Short Term Employment Risks 58:06 - Stablecoins Strengthen US Dollar Position 59:31 - Bitcoin Role Alongside Stablecoins 1:01:57 - Global Institutions Must Adapt Next

Brent Johnson's written research and weekly show "Milkshakes, Markets and Madness" are at Santiago Capital - links below.

🔗 Links & Resources: • Santiago Capital research: https://research.santiagocapital.com/ • Brent Johnson on X: https://x.com/SantiagoAuFund

⚡Previous Episode: Luke Gromen & Lyn Alden: https://youtu.be/xoAuuJyBg6E

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