'A TERRIFYING NIGHT': Paul Krugman goes on epic tweetstorm

Bob Bryan

Nov 9, 2016, 11:32 IST

Princeton economics and international affairs professor Paul Krugman listens during his introduction as the 2008 Nobel prize winner in economics at a new conference on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey.

Nobel Memorial Prize-winning economist and New York Times op-ed columnist Paul Krugman went on an epic tweetstorm of dismay as election results came in on Tuesday night and it became more likely that Republican nominee Donald Trump could be the next president of the US.

"I don't know about other people, but I'm not wailing or turning to drink; I just feel numb," tweeted Krugman. "You know that life as we know it may soon be changed beyond recognition, but it's hard to grasp, and right now there doesn't seem any alternative except to plug along."

Krugman has long said that Trump would be bad for the economy and railed against the FBI for re-opening its investigation into Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's email server.

The economist blamed Jill Stein for spoiling Clinton's chances in Florida and said that now there would be no way to reverse the impact of global warming on the planet.

Here is a selection of Krugman's tweets from election night from earliest to latest:

A terrifying night, and not just because Trump might win. It turns out that there is a deeper rage in white, rural America than I knew 1/
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016

The voters there know what Trump is; they know what they're voting for, and they're doing it anyway. How does our society hold together? 2/
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016

Also: the media harping on emails, which was, as Matt Yglesias says, a bullshit issue from the start, may have killed the planet
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016

Btw, Jill Stein has managed to play Ralph Nader. Without her Florida might have been saved
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016

I truly thought I knew my country better than it turns out I did. I have warned that we could become a failed state, but didn't realize 1/
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016

that it wasn't just the radicalism of the GOP, but deep hatred in a large segment of the population. How do we move forward? 2/
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016

It's really tempting to engage in recriminations over this disaster. I am furious at a lot of people right now. But it doesn't help 1/
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016

The point now is to figure out what to do in this horrible new world. Maybe, just maybe, there are enough aghast Republicans out there 2/
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016

to form an effective opposition to the governing nightmare we'll be seeing. I'm not really expecting it. But it's all I have so far 3/
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016

I don't know about other people, but I'm not wailing or turning to drink; I just feel numb. You know that life as we know it 1/
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016

may soon be changed beyond recognition, but it's hard to grasp, and right now there doesn't seem any alternative except to plug along 2/
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016

America, we hardly knew ye. Certainly I misjudged the country. But as I said, recriminations don't help. The road back begins tomorrow 1/
- Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 9, 2016