"WHEN TARIFF TANTRUMS MEET ECONOMIC REALITY"

...surprise, surprise, the markets are reacting the way every rational economist predicted; with sheer panic!

Michael Cohen Mar 11

For years, Donald J. Trump has sold the American people a golden fantasy; a land where the stock market booms under his, and only his, masterful leadership. Where tariffs are the ultimate power play against foreign adversaries, and where, according to him, any economic downturn is the fault of "Sleepy Joe" Biden and his so-called incompetence. But now, with the market in a tailspin over the last 45 days, the reality check has arrived, and it's not looking good for the current President and his merry band of sycophants.

The numbers don’t lie. The stock market, which Trump has long treated as his personal approval rating, has taken a brutal beating. The Dow has shed thousands of points, the S&P 500 has tumbled, and investors are growing increasingly skittish. And let’s be clear: this isn’t some cyclical market correction. This is a full-blown crisis of confidence; a referendum on the very economic policies Trump is promising to resurrect in his second term. The very same policies he claimed would "make America rich again" are now exposing the flaws that economists, financial analysts, and anyone with a functioning brain have been warning about for years.

Remember how Trump used to sneer and scoff at Biden when the market had a bad day? How he would gleefully tweet things like, "Stock Market at all-time lows! Sleepy Joe’s America is a disaster!" or "Biden is DESTROYING your 401(k)!"? Funny, he seems awfully quiet now that the economic disaster is unfolding on his own doorstep. Maybe because this time, there’s no one else to blame but himself.

One of the biggest culprits? Trump's obsession with tariffs. He has spent years treating tariffs like a blunt instrument, swinging them wildly at China, Europe, Canada, Mexico and anyone else who doesn’t kowtow to his economic illiteracy. And now, surprise, surprise, the markets are reacting the way every rational economist predicted; with sheer panic!

The mere mention of a return to Trump’s draconian tariffs has investors sprinting for the exits. Why? Because tariffs don’t just hurt the countries they’re imposed on, they create widespread economic uncertainty, disrupt global supply chains, and ultimately, jack up prices for American consumers. That’s right…I said it, they jack up prices for the American consumer! Wall Street doesn’t like instability, and Trump’s policies are a one-way ticket to economic chaos. But of course, try explaining that to the MAGA diehards who still believe that making China pay somehow means they’re getting richer. Newsflash: they’re not and you will be paying more for EVERYTHING!

And while the stock market tumbles, let’s talk about what Trump’s economic idiocy has just done to New Yorkers. Canada, my loving, maple syrup-loving cousins to the north, have decided to hike its energy costs to the Northeast, including New York, and guess what? You can thank Donald Trump for that the next time he parades himself down Fifth Avenue.

Trump’s reckless trade policies and his decision to pull back from North American energy agreements have left the U.S. more vulnerable than ever. And now, with rising costs and strained relations, Canada is looking out for itself; which means everyday New Yorkers are about to pay even more to keep the lights on. This isn’t some abstract, theoretical economic debate, this is real money coming out of real people’s pockets. And yet, you won’t hear Trump talking about how his policies just made winter a hell of a lot more expensive for millions of Americans. And wait, just wait until your electric bill comes in when we need the air conditioner during what is expected to be a very hot summer.

The truth is, Trump was always wrong when it came to the economy. He got lucky in his first term, coasting off the momentum of the Obama-era recovery, then spent four years artificially inflating stock prices with corporate tax cuts and reckless deregulation. It was all political smoke and mirrors. And right now, the market and consumer confidence is falling faster than Trump’s approval ratings; outside the MAGA cult of course.

The last 45 days have been an omen; a flashing neon sign warning that a second Trump term is on course to be a financial disaster. The markets are nervous because they see the writing on the wall. Investors clearly aren’t buying his nonsense anymore. And, Wall Street is waking up to the reality that Trump’s economic policies aren’t the road to prosperity; they’re a one-way ticket to economic ruin.

So, to all those investors, business leaders, and Americans watching their retirement accounts shrink and their bills go up, remember this: Donald Trump isn’t the economic savior he claims to be. And worse, he’s surrounded by people who don’t care about him or the legacy he will leave. They are individuals who have been successful in their own right. But that doesn’t make them geniuses. Certainly not geniuses to make the country successful or place us on the right path. And now, as the stock market spirals and New Yorkers brace for higher costs, the evidence is clearer than ever; four more years of Trump and his enablers’ policies means four more years of economic disaster.

But hey, don’t take my word for it. Just ask your 401(k).

(Kindly consider supporting this platform and all independent journalists here on Substack. Plus, the first 240 Founding Members to this platform receive a rare, signed, numbered edition of my NYT Bestseller “Revenge, How Donald Trump weaponized The US Department Of Justice Against His Critics.” Join now!)