Trump Brushes Off Selloff: ‘Market Needs Medicine’
President Donald Trump defended his controversial tariff policies on Sunday despite accelerating market losses, telling reporters that economic pain may be necessary to address long-standing trade imbalances. Speaking aboard Air Force One as futures markets pointed to another day of steep declines, Trump compared the market turmoil to a medical treatment, suggesting short-term discomfort for long-term benefits.
“I don’t want anything to go down, but sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” Trump told reporters, according to CNBC. His comments came as Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slid 4.1% Sunday evening, signaling that the massive losses from Thursday and Friday would likely continue when markets open Monday morning.
Rather than offering reassurances that might calm investor anxiety, the president doubled down on his trade priorities, particularly regarding China. “We have to solve our trade deficit with China,” he emphasized. “We have a trillion-dollar trade deficit with China, hundreds of billions of dollars a year we lose with China. And unless we solve that problem, I’m not going to make a deal.”
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Administration Remains Steadfast
Trump’s comments aligned with statements from other administration officials who have maintained that the tariffs will proceed despite market reaction. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick declared earlier Sunday that “the tariffs are coming” and explicitly ruled out any postponement of the next round of levies set to take effect later this week.
The unified messaging suggests the administration anticipates and is prepared to weather significant market volatility as it pursues its trade agenda. “I’m willing to deal with China,” Trump added, “but they have to solve their surplus.”
The president mentioned that he had spoken with European and Asian leaders over the weekend about the tariff rollout, though he did not provide details about those conversations or indicate any potential compromises or adjustments to the policy.
Reporter: "Is there pain in the market at some point you're unwilling to tolerate?"
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) April 7, 2025
Trump: : "I think your question is so stupid. I don't want anything to go down, but sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something — and we have been treated so badly by other countries." pic.twitter.com/WVU9V5q4Nz
Mixed Signals About Market Strategy
While White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett explicitly denied that the market selloff is part of an intentional strategy, Trump’s own social media activity has raised questions about the administration’s true intentions. On April 4, just two days after announcing the tariffs, Trump shared a TikTok video on his Truth Social account that claimed he was deliberately causing the market to plummet as part of his broader economic plan.
The video suggested that such a move would “push cash into treasuries, which forces the Fed to slash interest rates” while also weakening the dollar and lowering mortgage rates. Trump did not specifically endorse these claims, but his decision to share the video has fueled speculation that market turbulence might serve political or economic purposes for the administration.
Global Markets Brace for More Turbulence
International markets are watching closely as the U.S. approaches another potentially volatile trading day. Last week saw the most significant market losses since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some analysts warning of a possible “Black Monday” scenario similar to the historic 1987 crash if conditions continue to deteriorate.
The administration’s tariff policy has already prompted retaliatory measures from China, which imposed a 34% tariff on American goods. Other major trading partners, including Canada and the European Union, are reportedly preparing similar countermeasures, raising concerns about a spiraling trade war that could further destabilize global markets.
Amidst these growing tensions, Trump’s “medicine” metaphor suggests he views the market pain as a necessary side effect of addressing structural trade issues. This framing attempts to position any economic hardship as temporary and ultimately beneficial, though economists remain divided on whether his approach will yield the desired results.
As traders and investors prepare for Monday’s opening bell, the president’s reluctance to offer reassurances or indicate flexibility on his tariff timeline suggests that market volatility may continue in the near term as the administration pursues its trade agenda despite the financial turbulence.
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