Trump Shrugs Off Business Leaders’ Calls for Clarity on Tariffs
President Donald Trump is dismissing calls from CEOs, investors, and policymakers who are pleading with the White House for clearer guidance on his sweeping tariff policies.
“They always say that. ‘We want clarity,’” Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired Sunday.
“They have plenty of clarity.”
Speaking with Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures, Trump brushed off concerns from the business community, arguing that demands for more predictability were simply "talking points".
"They just use that—like almost a sound bite."
When pressed by Bartiromo on whether business leaders would receive the clarity they’re asking for, Trump’s response was telling.
"I think so, but you know, the tariffs could go up as time goes by, and they may go up, and you know, I don’t know if it’s predictability."
Bartiromo, taken aback, interjected:
"That’s not clarity."
Markets React to Trump's Tariff Uncertainty
The fallout was immediate. As a new week of tariff-fueled anxiety began, the stock market opened sharply lower on Monday:
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 400 points (-1%).
- The S&P 500 dropped 1.4%.
- The Nasdaq Composite lost 2%, later hitting its lowest level since September 2024.
The declines followed a brutal week on Wall Street, where uncertainty over tariffs sent the markets tumbling:
- The S&P 500 dropped 3.10%—its worst weekly loss since September.
- The Dow Jones fell 2.37%.
- The Nasdaq Composite shed 3.45%.
A Whiplash Week for Trade Policy
At the center of the storm were Trump’s unpredictable 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports:
- Initially paused for a month
- Reinstated on Tuesday
- Pulled back on Wednesday
- Partially paused again on Thursday
The repeated reversals have left business leaders, investors, and policymakers scrambling, as Trump remains noncommittal on whether his tariff policy will stabilize or escalate further.
