Trump's Second Term Kicks Off with Economic Chaos: A 100-Day Disaster in 5 Charts
Catastrophe Unraveling Over a 100-Day Period, Illustrated Through Five Charts
Get ready for some rough economic sailing, folks! After the first 100 days of Donald Trump's second term, it's clear as day (or nightmare, depending on your standpoint) that the economy's a mess. Let's take a look at the flood of red ink splashed across the charts, shall we?
Warning - Rough Waters Ahead: Star investor Ken Griffin, a Trump campaign supporter, has issued a grim warning: repairing the damage Trump's policies have wrought on the "USA brand" could take an entire generation. And polls show about half of U.S. economists predict a recession within the next 12 months.
Trade Policy - A Torrential Storm: At the heart of this economic chaos is Trump's trade policy. With tariffs jacked up to levels not seen in over a century, Americans are paying more for imports now than at any time since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Even if companies shift their supply chains and consumers change their shopping habits, the cost of import duties remains sky-high.
The tariffs themselves haven't shown up yet in the economic data. But we've got some red flags popping up, including a sharp increase in inflation expectations and a decline in consumer confidence reminiscent of the energy crisis following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Stormy Seas Ahead for Wall Street: The stock market's been no exception to the stormy weather. Following Trump's inauguration, optimism was the order of the day. Fast forward three weeks, and boom! The S&P 500 hit an all-time high. Then came the downpour: afterward Trump announced his most extensive tariffs on the "Independence Day," the S&P 500 took a nosedive of over 10% in just two days - the steepest decline since the COVID crisis. Even after Trump stepped back on tariffs a tad, the market's still over 10% below its February peak.
Troubled Waters for Treasury Bonds and the U.S. Dollar: Investors usually flock to U.S. government bonds as a safe haven during economic storms. But not so with Trump's tariffs. After the tariff announcement, bond prices plummeted, suggesting a loss of confidence in U.S. debt and the U.S. dollar. The U.S. dollar index has also tanked since Trump took office, with currency experts like George Saravelos of Deutsche Bank fearing Trump's policies could threaten the U.S. dollar's status as the global reserve currency.
In short, Trump's economic policies have stirred up a hurricane of economic turmoil, with waves crashing over stocks, consumer confidence, the U.S. dollar, and Treasury bonds. Bye-bye, sunny skies - hello, economic chaos!
Sources: ntv.de, CNN Business, MarketWatch, Financial Times, and Bloomberg.
- Donald Trump
- Tariffs
- Stock markets
- U.S. dollar
- Treasury bonds
- Inflation
- Economic growth
Did you Know?- Tariffs have led to higher costs for imported goods, affecting consumer purchasing power and inflation.- Trump's tariffs on materials like steel, aluminum, and lumber have significantly increased construction costs.- Declining consumer confidence and real spending, particularly in durable goods like cars, have resulted from Trump's tariffs and budget cuts.- Ongoing economic uncertainty from tariff policies might weaken the U.S. dollar if investors lose confidence in the U.S. economy's stability and growth prospects.- As of 2025, Trump's continued commitment to tariffs has led to increased tensions with trading partners and economic concerns. On April 2nd, 2025, Trump imposed significant tariffs on multiple countries, including a 54% increase on Chinese imports. [1][2]
[1] Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. (2023). Import Tariffs and their effects on the U.S. Economy.[2] Reuters. (2025). Trump imposes 54% tariffs on Chinese imports.
- The rising costs of imported goods, driven by Donald Trump's tariffs, have negatively affected consumer purchasing power and are contributing to inflation concerns.
- In the wake of Donald Trump's implementation of tariffs, construction costs have surged significantly due to increased material costs such as steel, aluminum, and lumber.
- As a direct result of Donald Trump's tariffs and budget cuts, consumer confidence and real spending, particularly in durable goods like cars, have experienced a noticeable decline.
- The ongoing economic uncertainty created by tariff policies may potentially weaken the U.S. dollar if investors lose confidence in the stability and growth prospects of the U.S. economy.
- Donald Trump's unwavering commitment to tariffs has escalated tensions with trading partners and sparked economic concerns, with new tariffs imposed on multiple countries in 2025, such as a 54% increase on Chinese imports.
