The American stock market has plunged sharply following President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of sweeping tariffs, and a video shared by Trump himself on social media today suggests that the downturn is part of his deliberate strategy.
On Friday morning, Trump shared a link via his Truth Social account to a one-minute video that begins with the claim: “Trump is crashing the stock market…this month, but he’s doing it on purpose.”
WATCH:

The brief clip attempts to explain Trump’s reasoning behind the newly announced tariffs. These tariffs have been widely criticized by economists and Wall Street analysts alike, triggering a severe market collapse. On Thursday, the S&P 500 plummeted by 4.8%—its steepest drop in almost five years—and the index continued its descent THIS morning, falling an additional 4.2%.
The video, which originated from a March 15 TikTok post with under 18,000 followers, argues that Trump is executing a “wild chess move” and engaging in a “secret game” designed to “force” the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates. According to the theory, this would allow the federal government to refinance a substantial portion of its $36 trillion debt “very inexpensively.”
While that idea may seem far-fetched, there has been a notable decline in U.S. Treasury yields this week. The 10-year Treasury note, often used as a benchmark for various types of loans, dropped more than 10 basis points to a six-month low of 3.9%. Lower yields could theoretically make borrowing cheaper. However, if these changes come at the cost of triggering a recession, marked by rising inflation, reduced consumer spending, and lower corporate profits due to tariffs, it’s a pyrrhic victory at best.
There are also less destructive ways to bring yields down, such as boosting investor trust through responsible government spending. This was a theme during the early part of Trump’s second term, when Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency helped bolster belief in efforts to curb the growing national debt.
It’s also worth noting that the current 10-year yield is not historically low. As recently as last September, it was below 3.6%, and from 2012 to 2021, it stayed under 3.5% for long stretches.
Trump took to social media again today to publicly urge the Federal Reserve to lower rates, writing: “This would be a PERFECT time for Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to cut Interest Rates.” Trump has a history of pressuring the Fed—an independent body—to follow his preferences on monetary policy, dating back to his initial term. Powell appeared unmoved by the calls in his prepared statement Friday, where he said: “While uncertainty remains elevated, it is now becoming clear that the tariff increases will be significantly larger than expected. The same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth.”
The video Trump shared also declared that he’s “taking from the rich short-term and handing it to the middle class through lower prices,” noting that “94% of all stocks are owned only by 8% of Americans.”
Most economists agree the tariffs will raise, not lower, prices for consumers. The stock ownership statistic seems to reference a 2023 Federal Reserve report indicating that 93% of market value is held by the top 10% of earners. But that doesn’t mean market downturns don’t affect the broader public. Gallup reports that roughly 61% of Americans own stocks, and Census data shows most Americans hold retirement accounts like IRAs or 401(k)s.
The video also attributes praise to billionaire investor Warren Buffett, claiming he believes Trump is making the “best economic moves” in fifty years. However, Buffett never said that. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, denied the statement in a release Friday, stating the “comments allegedly made by Warren E. Buffett…false.” In fact, Buffett recently criticized tariffs in a CBS News interview, referring to them as “an act of war” and calling them “a tax on goods” ultimately borne by consumers.
Trump’s apparent embrace of a stock market downturn marks a stark departure from his past reliance on market performance as a benchmark for presidential success. “If we lost this election, I think the market would go down the tubes,” he said in October. He also boasted that the “market has gone through the roof” and often touted gains during his presidency as an “amazing achievement.” Since the November election, however, the S&P has dropped by approximately 13%.
{Matzav.com}