Trump is the biggest risk, uncertainty in the world: Dr. Doom

Nouriel Roubini, the man who called the 2008 financial crisis, fears Wall Street is badly underestimating the negatives lurking beneath President Trump’s agenda.

In fact, Roubini, whose dark predictions have given him the nickname “Dr. Doom,” believes Trump and his policies have vaulted to the top of the list of risks threatening the global economy.

Last year, the biggest concern was a “hard landing” in China that dragged the rest of the world down along with it. Before that, the top danger was thought to be a collapse of the eurozone.

“Now, the biggest elephant in the room is the United States,” Roubini told CNNMoney’s Cristina Alesci this week from the sidelines of the Milken Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California.

Roubini argued that the “biggest uncertainty in the world and biggest tail risk comes from the economic, foreign and security policies of the Trump administration.”

The New York University professor explained that because the US is the world’s biggest economy, the consequences of a “severe policy mistake” can be enormous.

Recall that the 2008 global financial crisis that Roubini predicted began in the U.S. and quickly rippled across the planet, causing damage to economies far away from Wall Street.

Of course, Wall Street doesn’t seem very worried at the moment. Trump’s promises to slash taxes, rip up regulation and spend on infrastructure have helped carry the S&P 500 11.6% since the election. CNNMoney’s Fear & Greed Index is sitting comfortably in “neutral” territory.

Another measure of fear, the VIX (VIX) volatility index, plummeted this week to just 9.9, the lowest level since February 2007. By comparison, the VIX surged to nearly 90 during the 2008 financial crisis and hit 53 in August 2015 amid fears about China’s economic slowdown.

“Markets are overestimating the positives and underestimating the negatives” from Trump’s policies, Roubini told CNNMoney.

Ben Bernanke, the former Federal Reserve chief, also suggested investors may be overly optimistic. He told CNBC this week that Trump’s goal of 3% growth is a “pretty long shot,” adding, “we’re in a slow-growth world now.”