FRIDAY ON THE SQUARE | April 4, 2025
Here's the good, the bad, and the oh-my-god, what the hell is he doing for this week.
We made it to the end of another week, but at what cost?
Trump’s tariff chaos reached new heights this week while US and global financial markets fell off a cliff and have yet to hit bottom.
This week, U.S. stock markets suffered their steepest declines since 2020. In that year, it took a worldwide pandemic of undetermined origin to rock the financial world. This time, we can trace the staggering losses to the fast-food-frier grease stains on yet another Trump-signed attack on America. At the close today, the S&P 500 had fallen 6%, the Dow was off 5.5%, and the Nasdaq was down 5.8% and had officially and firmly planted itself in bear market territory.
China has instituted 34% retaliatory tariffs on US goods with no end in sight in an escalating trade war with American citizens, consumers, and businesses - especially small businesses - about to become serious casualties.
With inflation and recession fears rising, the Fed signaled that no rate cuts are planned for 2025. Trump had “demanded” rates be cut just days after being sworn in for his second term and insisted again today that rates should be cut now as markets slide. Fed Chair Powell seems unswayed by the president’s foot-stomping tantrums.
Global markets experienced significant losses directly attributable to Trump’s actions. European and Asian stocks fell sharply, and the dollar sank to a six-month low.