Trump Doubles Down On Tariffs And He Loves It
In early 2025, President Donald Trump, newly re-elected, has launched an aggressive campaign of tariffs targeting nations he deems “bad actors,” including China, Iran, and several European countries he accuses of unfair trade practices and currency manipulation. Building on his first-term trade policies, Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on Chinese goods, a 35% tariff on Iranian oil-related imports, and a 15% tariff on select EU products, citing their failure to “play fair” with American workers. The administration claims these measures will protect domestic industries, particularly in manufacturing and agriculture, while forcing adversarial nations to the negotiating table. Trump, speaking at a rally in Ohio, declared, “These countries have been ripping us off for decades, and I’m done with it—America First means America wins, no matter what.”
Hedge fund managers, who have long relied on globalized markets to maximize profits, are reeling from the economic fallout, with the Dow dropping 1,200 points in a single week as supply chains buckle and consumer prices spike. Figures like Ray Dalio and Jamie Dimon have publicly decried the tariffs as “reckless” and “catastrophic,” warning of a potential recession and pleading for Trump to reverse course. But the president remains unmoved, viewing their distress as a form of poetic justice for their actions during his first term. Back then, many of these financial titans openly criticized Trump’s policies, mocked his leadership style, and, according to Trump allies, quietly funded efforts to undermine him, including supporting the Uniparty—a term Trump uses to describe the bipartisan establishment that sought to oust him through investigations and impeachment. Sources close to the White House say Trump has privately relished their panic, reportedly telling aides, “They laughed at me, conspired against me—now they’ll feel the heat.”
Trump’s resolve to maintain these tariffs, despite the Wall Street outcry, is rooted in both policy and personal vendetta, signaling a broader war on the elite class he believes betrayed him. The president has doubled down, announcing plans to expand tariffs to other nations like Canada and Mexico if they don’t renegotiate trade deals to his liking by mid-2025. This unyielding stance has galvanized his base, who see it as Trump sticking it to the globalist establishment that tried to expel him from office, but it risks long-term economic instability as inflation climbs and international relations fray. For Trump, the hedge fund managers’ anguish is not a bug but a feature—a deliberate payback for their role in the Uniparty’s machinations, and a reminder that he’s back in power, ready to settle scores while reshaping America’s economic destiny on his terms.
