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The Latest: Markets sink as Trump’s tariffs roil global trading system

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The Latest: Markets sink as Trump’s tariffs roil global trading system

Today’s live updates have ended. Find more coverage at APNews.com.

U.S. stocks ended another tumultuous day lower as markets reel from President Donald Trump’s latest threats to crank his tariffs higher.

The S&P 500 sank 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 349 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%.

What to know:

  • Stocks spiked after false report of a tariff pause: Stocks briefly soared Monday morning after social media users claimed that Kevin Hassett, a top White House economic adviser, said the president was considering a 90-day pause on tariffs. A White House account quickly weighed in on X, calling the report “fake news.”
  • Trump is threatening more tariffs on China: “If China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The threat came after China said it would retaliate against U.S. tariffs Trump announced last week.
  • Globally, economic bellwethers are flagging: Stocks in Hong Kong plunged 13.2% for their worst day since 1997. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude oil dipped below $60 during the morning for the first time since 2021, hurt by worries that a global economy weakened by trade barriers will burn less fuel. Bitcoin sank below $79,000, down from its record above $100,000 set in January, after holding steadier than other markets last week.

▶ Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his administration

Mixed finish for ‘Magnificent Seven’

Shares in Amazon, Nvidia and most of the other dominant U.S. stocks known as the “Magnificent Seven” closed higher Monday following a roller-coaster day on Wall Street.

Nvidia gained 3.5%, Meta Platforms added 2.3%, Amazon rose 2.5% and Google parent Alphabet finished 0.8% higher.

The other three stocks lost ground: Apple fell 3.7%, Microsoft slid 0.6% and Tesla dropped 2.6%.

The “Magnificent Seven” are so massive in size that their movements carry more weight on the S&P 500 and other indexes than other stocks.

Even with some notching gains Monday, the stocks are all still down following the major market sell-off last Wednesday. They have since shed a combined market value of $1.81 trillion.

Market volatility shows that investors are still hoping for tariff negotiations

Trump has given several reasons for his stiff tariffs, including bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States, which is a process that could take years. Trump on Sunday said he wanted to bring down the numbers for how much more the United States imports from other countries versus how much it sends to them.

Indexes nevertheless kept swinging between losses and gains Monday, in part because markets still hope that negotiations may still come.

“We’re not calling the all-clear at all, but when you have this type of volatility in the market, of course you’re going to have back and forth” in markets ranging from day to day and hour to hour, said Nate Thooft, a senior portfolio manager at Manulife Investment Management.

“We’re all waiting for the next bit of information,” he said. “Literally a Truth Social tweet or an announcement of some sort about real negotiations could dramatically move this market. This is the world we live in right now.”

Monday’s market spike shows just how closely investors are watching for news on tariffs

A sudden rise Monday morning followed a false rumor that Trump was considering a 90-day pause on his tariffs, one that a White House account on X quickly labeled as “fake news.”

That a rumor could move trillions of dollars’ worth of investments shows how much investors are hoping to see signs that Trump may let up on tariffs.Stocks quickly turned back down, and shortly afterward, Trump dug in further and said he may raise tariffs more against China after the world’s second-largest economy retaliated last week with its own set of tariffs on U.S. products.

It’s a slap in the face to Wall Street, not just because of the sharp losses it’s taken, but because it suggests Trump may not be moved by its pain.

Many professional investors had long thought that a president who used to crow about records reached under his watch would pull back on policies if they sent the Dow reeling.

How major US stock indexes fared Monday

On Monday:

  • The S&P 500 fell 11.83 points, or 0.2%, to 5,062.25.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 349.26 points, or 0.9%, to 37,965.60.
  • The Nasdaq composite rose 15.48 points, or 0.1%, to 15,603.26.
  • The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 16.89 points, or 0.9%, to 1,810.14.

For the year:

  • The S&P 500 is down 819.38 points, or 13.9%.
  • The Dow is down 4,578.62 points, or 10.8%.
  • The Nasdaq is down 3,707.53 points, or 19.2%.
  • The Russell 2000 is down 420.01 points, or 18.8%.

US stocks end modestly lower after reeling from Trump’s threats to escalate his tariff fight

A screen shows stock prices at the Nasdaq MarketSite, Monday, April 7, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

A screen shows stock prices at the Nasdaq MarketSite, Monday, April 7, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Stocks ended another tumultuous day lower as markets reel from President Trump’s latest threats to escalate his tariff fight.

The S&P 500 sank 0.2% Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 349 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%. The Dow was earlier down as many as 1,700 points following even worse losses worldwide on worries that Trump’s tariffs could torpedo the global economy.

It then surged to a gain after a rumor circulated that Trump may pause his tariffs. But the White House quickly called that fake news, and Trump then threatened to raise tariffs further on China.

JUST IN: US stocks end modestly lower after another rocky day caused by Trump’s latest threats to escalate his tariff fight

Sell, baby, sell

The Marathon Garyville Oil Refinery in Reserve, La., is seen Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The Marathon Garyville Oil Refinery in Reserve, La., is seen Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

President’s Trump promise to “drill, baby, drill”,” was expected to usher in happy days for fossil fuel companies. But it hasn’t worked out that way so far.

Oil and gas companies have been among the biggest decliners over the past few days as an escalating trade war raises fears of an economic downturn and a drop in demand for energy products.

Over the past three trading sessions, Devon Energy, Diamondback Energy and Halliburton have all declined by more than 20%. APA Corp., which operates in the U.S., Egypt and the U.K., has dropped more than 30%. The price of oil has declined from around $71 in the middle of last week to $61 Monday.

Trump says he won’t pause tariff plan

Despite hopes that he’ll back off his trade policies, the president said he’s not going to pause plans for tariffs.

“We’re not looking at that,” he said in the Oval Office. However, he also said foreign leaders were looking to cut new trade deals with the U.S.

“We have many, many countries that are coming to negotiate with us,” he said.

Trump said there was no contradiction between implementing tariffs and holding talks.”

They can both be true,” he said.

Trump has lost more than a billion dollars in stock value

Trump’s stake in his social media company that runs Truth Social has fallen to $2.4 billion, a 40% plunge from when the stock market began tumbling on tariff fears on February 19. The drop in percentage terms is twice that of the S&P 500.

The president’s heavy exposure to stocks through his Trump Media & Technology stake contrasts sharply from when he was last president and boasted regularly about stock market records.

Back then, before he took his social media public, he had just 0.1% of his wealth in stocks.

Just how much a backlash from Trump’s tariffs will hurt his overseas golf club and hotel and residential tower businesses is unclear because they are privately held.

Before Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement, Forbes valued his holdings, including his Trump Media stake, at about $5 billion.

Experts worry of a possible bear market

Wall Street could soon be in the claws of another bear market as the Trump administration’s tariff blitz fuels fears that the added taxes on imported goods from around the world will sink the global economy.

An electronic display shows financial information on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

An electronic display shows financial information on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A bear market is a term used by Wall Street when an index such as the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen 20% or more from a recent high for a sustained period of time.

The last bear market happened from Jan. 3 to Oct. 12 in 2022. But this decline feels more like the sudden, turbulent bear market of 2020, when the benchmark S&P 500 index tumbled 34% in a one-month period, the shortest bear market ever.

The S&P 500, Wall Street’s main barometer of health, was down 1.2% in Monday afternoon trading. It’s now 18.4% below the all-time high it set on Feb. 19.

The Dow industrials fell 1.8%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite, which already was in a bear market, dropped 0.9%.

▶Read more about the possible shift to a bear market

UK and Singapore prime ministers agree to strengthen collaboration amid US tariffs

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed U.S. tariffs with his Singapore counterpart and they agreed there can be no winners in a trade war, his office said.

Starmer updated Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on his calls with other leaders over the weekend and both agreed to work to maintain global economic stability, according to a readout of the call.

The two agreed to strengthen collaboration through bilateral agreements and trading blocs such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership.

“On the wider bilateral relationship, the leaders committed to further collaboration on areas including technology, security and defense in the 60th year of bilateral relations,” Starmer’s office said.

Apple, Starbucks, Caterpillar among declining stocks

An Apple logo adorns the facade of the downtown Brooklyn Apple store on March 14, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

An Apple logo adorns the facade of the downtown Brooklyn Apple store on March 14, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

Apple tumbled again on Monday after President Donald Trump threatened more tariffs against China.

China is the iPhone maker’s second-biggest market and home to the vast majority of its production and assembly.

In afternoon trading, Apple fell 3.2%, to $182.34 per share. That follows a combined decline of more than 16% on Thursday and Friday. Its shares are down more than 25% this year.

Other notable decliners Monday included Starbucks (-2.8%); Tesla (-1.6%); Levi Strauss (-1.7%); and Caterpillar (-2.4%).

Much like the major stock indexes, many companies whipsawed back-and-forth between gains and losses.

Nvidia was down as much as 7% early before rebounding to a 5% gain in the afternoon, for instance.

US Secretary of State speaks with Pakistan’s deputy PM about economic cooperation

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken to Pakistan’s deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, days after President Trump imposed 29% tariffs on exports to his country from Pakistan.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that the two sides “discussed bilateral relations, regional security, and economic cooperation.”

The statement quoted Rubio as saying that the cooperation in economy and trade would be the hallmark of future relations between the two countries.

The latest development came hours after the Pakistan Stock Exchange fell rapidly, with Islamabad facing 29% tariffs from the U.S.

WATCH: Japan PM says he told Trump to rethink tariff policies

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he held telephone talks on Monday with President Donald Trump and told him he is “strongly concerned” that U.S. tariffs would discourage investment from Japan, which has been the world’s biggest investor in the United States in the past five years.

Beijing cites President Reagan to blast Trump’s tariffs and protectionism

Beijing has issued several strongly-worded rebukes to Trump’s tariffs, including one entirely in the words of late-President Ronald Reagan.

“High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars,” the Republican president said in a video clip dated 1987, as posted on the X social media site Monday by the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. The embassy wrote that the decades-old speech “finds new relevance in 2025.”

“The result is more and more tariffs, higher and higher trader barriers, and less and less competition,” Reagan said in the speech, in which he warned of the worst from tariff wars: markets should collapse, businesses shut down, and millions of people lose jobs.

Experts don’t think China will back down in the face of Trump’s latest tariff threat

Experts say Beijing is unlikely to back down, after President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on China if Beijing does not withdraw its retaliatory tariffs.

“At this point, it is extremely unlikely for China to back down,” said Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Washington-based think tank Stimson Center, adding any leadership summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping “doesn’t appear likely in the near future.”

“China is increasingly convinced that the tariff is not negotiable because Trump’s eventual goal is to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.,” Sun said.

Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at another Washington-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, called Trump’s threat from today “a blunt ultimatum to Beijing that sharply raises the takes in the U.S.-China tariff war.” He said Beijing’s rigid system and fear of looking weak prevent Xi from opening back channels with the Trump administration that could offer relief.

“This is not a contest of endurance so much as a collision course, where neither side intends to swerve,” Singleton said. “In other words, Trump and Xi are locked into escalation-as-strategy, and the risk now is a slow-motion spiral with no clear ceiling.”

Think twice before bailing out of the stock market, financial advisers say

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is framed by a trader's screens on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is framed by a trader’s screens on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

The huge swings rocking Wall Street and the global economy may feel far from normal. But, for investing at least, drops of this size have happened throughout history.

Any kind of uncertainty around the economy will give Wall Street pause, but the trade war is making it more difficult for companies, households and others to feel confident enough to invest, spend and make long-term plans.

Anytime an investor sees they’re losing money, it feels bad. This recent run feels particularly unnerving because of how incredibly calm the market had previously been. The S&P 500 is coming off a second straight year where it shot up by more than 20%.

Selling may offer some feeling of relief. But it also locks in losses and prevents the chance of making the money back over time. Historically, the S&P 500 has come back from every one of its downturns to eventually make investors whole again. That includes after the Great Depression, the dot-com bust and the 2020 COVID crash.

Read more about what experts advise you do with your money in the stock market

Markets in Europe sink for a third day

European markets continued their recent descent Monday, logging a third straight day of major losses.

Germany’s DAX index, which briefly fell more than 10% at th e open on the Frankfurt exchange, recovered some ground and closed down 4.1%. In Paris, the CAC 40 shed 4.8%, while Britain’s FTSE 100 tumbled 4.4%.

Prior to last week, most indexes in Europe had enjoyed a resurgence after underperforming U.S. markets last year.

The EUs executive commission — which handles trade issues for the 27-country bloc — is set to impose tariffs on jeans, whiskey and motorcycles Wednesday in response to Trump’s increase in steel and aluminum tariffs.

EU commissioners haven’t cemented a response to Trump’s “reciprocal” tariff of 20% on European goods and a 25% tariff imposed on autos.

Betting on a Fed rate cut

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at the SABEW Annual Conference Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing Annual Conference in Arlington, Va., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at the SABEW Annual Conference Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing Annual Conference in Arlington, Va., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Wall Street is increasingly betting that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate at least four times this year.

That expectation has increased since the White House unleashed its sweeping tariffs on imported goods.

As of Monday, traders are betting on a 61.6% chance that the Fed will leave its rate unchanged at its next meeting of policymakers in May, according to data from CME Group. That’d down from 63.1% a month ago.

However, traders’ odds of rate cut announcements at Fed meetings in June, July, September and December are all up versus a month ago.

The Fed has been holding interest rates steady this year, after cutting them sharply through the end of last year.

Copper prices fall further

Benches line the Cobre Panamá copper mine during a press tour of the mine owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals that was closed after Panama's Supreme Court ruled that the government concession was unconstitutional in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Benches line the Cobre Panamá copper mine during a press tour of the mine in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

The price of copper fell nearly 4% Monday following sharp drops late last week. Copper prices were up as much as 30% for the year as of late March and nearly all of those gains have been erased.

Copper prices had hit record levels because of growing demand amid developments for artificial intelligence technology and a global shift to cleaner energy. A prolonged trade war threatens economies around the world. That makes investments in technology and energy infrastructure more difficult.

Much of the world’s technology wouldn’t work without copper. It goes into cords for electrical devices, transmission lines, batteries, LED lights and other electronics.

Gas price increase is likely short-lived

The average price for a gallon of gas is up for the third straight week in the U.S., but that’s likely to reverse course soon with oil prices in rapid retreat.

The average price for a gallon of gas hit $3.21 this week, up more than 10 cents, according to GasBuddy. That’s still more than 35 cents lower that last year at this time.

The per-gallon price is illuminated on the pump at a Costco warehouse gasoline station Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Thornton, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The per-gallon price is illuminated on the pump at a Costco warehouse gasoline station Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Thornton, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Oil prices on Monday briefly dipped below $60 for the first time since 2021 as a global trade war escalates.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said that if tariffs aren’t scaled back soon, the national average could fall below $3 per gallon in the coming weeks.

Heavy weights lead market shifts

An electronic display shows financial information on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

An electronic display shows financial information on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Wall Street’s big swings are being led by the technology sector, which has an outsized impact on the broader market.

The sector is full of companies with pricey stock valuations, such as Nvidia, which tend to push and pull the market with greater force than less valuable stocks. Their heft means a big shift either way for a just handful of companies can sink or lift the S&P 500.

Technology companies, including chipmakers, have seen their values skyrocket over hopes for artificial intelligence advancements. Higher costs for chips and other technologies pose a risk to that development and the earnings growth prospects for companies like Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft.

Trump threatens additional tariffs on China

“If China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!

Trump’s threat comes after China said it would retaliate against U.S. tariffs announced last week.

British prime minister says tariffs are a ‘huge challenge’ for the UK

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said President Trump’s tariffs were a “huge challenge” for the U.K. and could have “profound” consequences for the global economy.

Britain's Labour Party Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes speech outside 10 Downing Street in London, Friday, July 5, 2024. Labour leader Keir Starmer won the general election on July 4, and was appointed Prime Minster by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, after the party won a landslide victory. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Britain’s Labour Party Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes speech outside 10 Downing Street in London, Friday, July 5, 2024. Labour leader Keir Starmer won the general election on July 4, and was appointed Prime Minster by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, after the party won a landslide victory. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

“But this moment has also made something very clear — that this is not a passing phase,” he said. “And just as we’ve seen with our national security, particularly over recent months in relation to the war in Ukraine, now with our commerce and trade, this is … a completely new world, an era where old assumptions, which we’ve long taken for granted, simply don’t apply any longer.”

Speaking to workers at a plant in the West Midlands that makes Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles for the export market, Starmer said his government would continue to try to negotiate a trade deal with the United States while championing free trade around the world.

Jaguar Land Rover on Saturday announced that it was pausing shipments to the U.S. for the month of April as it works out how to respond to the 25% tax on imported cars that took effect last week.

Starmer announced some help for the British car industry, providing additional flexibility in meeting the government’s 2030 deadline for phasing out gasoline- and diesel-power cars, extending the deadline for hybrids to 2035 and offering tax breaks for buyers of electric vehicles.

JUST IN: Trump threatens more tariffs on China if Beijing does not withdraw retaliatory measures

Slide in oil prices deepens

FILE - A sign at a Sinclair gas station is seen next to an Arco gas station advertising gasoline prices, June 10, 2024, in Long Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)

FILE – A sign at a Sinclair gas station is seen next to an Arco gas station advertising gasoline prices, June 10, 2024, in Long Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)

Oil prices are falling Monday, extending their slide from last week, as investors anticipate that a trade war will chill global economic growth.

The price of benchmark U.S. crude oil is down 1.1% to $61.32 a barrel. Earlier in the day, it briefly dipped below $60 a barrel for the first time since 2021.

U.S. crude is down 14.2% so far this month.

Brent crude, the international standard, is down 1% to $64.88 a barrel.

Bitcoin and other cryptos see large price drops

After holding relatively stable during last week’s global market turmoil, cryptocurrencies have joined the sell-off.

Bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency dipped below $75,000 Monday morning before seeing a slight rebound.

Bitcoin’s prices haven’t been this low since just after President Donald Trump’s Election Day victory last year launched a bull run in crypto prices.

Bitcoin’s backers say it is a type of digital gold that can act as a hedge against volatility. But Garrick Hileman, an independent cryptocurrency analyst, said bitcoin’s price slide shows that thesis still hasn’t proven to be true.

“It’s just not there today,” he said. “[Bitcoin] trades like a risky tech stock.”
Other major digital assets, like ether, XRP and solana, saw even bigger one-day percentage drops on Monday morning.

Bond yields are mixed after brief rally

Treasury yields are mixed in Monday morning trading on the bond market after briefly rallying in the early going.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.09% from 4.01% late Friday. It had fallen as low as 3.88% overnight.

The yield, which influences interest rates on mortgages and other consumer loans, was nearing 4.8% in mid-January.

The two-year yield, which closely tracks expectations for action by the Federal Reserve, was steady at 3.68%.

A White House account on X says it was ‘fake news’ that Trump was considering a tariff pause

The account, @RapidResponse47, weighed in shortly after the market spiked, then dropped again.

Stock market spikes in reaction to White House report that president may pause tariffs

Mark Mueller works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Mark Mueller works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The stock market briefly spiked on a report that Kevin Hassett, a top White House economic adviser, said the president was considering a 90-day pause on tariffs.

The supposed remark from Hassett circulated on social media, but no one could pinpoint where it came from even as the market flashed from red to green.

Hassett had spoken to Fox News earlier in the morning, when he was asked about a potential pause. However, he was noncommittal.

“I think the president is going to decide what the president is going to decide,” he said.

The episode showed that traders were operating on a hair trigger and eager for any sign of encouraging news for the market.

Stocks are sharply swinging down, up, then down again on Wall Street

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly erased a morning loss of 1,700 points, shot up more than 800 points, then went back to a loss of 629 points.

The S&P 500 likewise made sudden up-and-down lurching movements and was down 0.7% in the first hour of trading. The Nasdaq composite was up 0.2% That followed sharp drops around the world as worries rise about whether Trump’s trade war will torpedo the global economy.

A big Tesla bull slams Musk, slashes stock price target

The Tesla logo is displayed at a Tesla dealership Thursday, Mar. 13, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The Tesla logo is displayed at a Tesla dealership Thursday, Mar. 13, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives says Elon Musk’s association with President Trump and his tariffs will turn off potential Tesla buyers in China, the company’s second largest market. Ives writes that Musk’s embrace of right-wing politics is destroying demand for his electric vehicles in the U.S. and Europe, too.

“This could be a brutal year ahead if Musk does not exit stage left or take a step back on DOGE in the coming month,” Ives writes, referring to the Tesla CEO’s leadership of the government cost-cutting group. “With major protests erupting globally at Tesla dealerships, Tesla cars being keyed, and a full brand crisis tornado turning into a life of its own, this has cast a dark black cloud over Tesla’s stock.”

Even before Trump’s tariffs, Tesla stock had plunged more than 40% from its mid-December high.

Ives’ new price target of $315 still assumes big gains. Tesla was trading Monday morning at $229, down more than 4%.

JUST IN: Stocks turn positive on Wall Street in a sudden reversal and the Dow jumps 300 points erasing a loss of 1,700

Japan’s prime minister told Trump he is concerned the tariffs will discourage investment from Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he spoke on the telephone with Trump on Monday night and told him he is “strongly concerned” that U.S. tariffs would discourage investment from Japan, which has been the world’s biggest investor in the United States in the past five years.

Ishiba said he urged Trump to seek a more mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation, and that Japan will keep negotiating to get the U.S. government reconsider the measures.

The two leaders reaffirmed their efforts to resolve the issue, and agreed to appoint a team of representatives on each side for further negotiations.

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a press conference at his office in Tokyo Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool Photo via AP)

Shigeru Ishiba, member of House of Representatives of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and one of candidates for LDP leadership election speaks during his press conference Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in Tokyo. In response to Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s suggestion Japan should change its defense policy, Ishiba explained that Japan does not have a capability, and it would take a lot of time and cost to be able to acquire such a capability, and Japan would have to rely on the U.S. for surveillance. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Ishiba said his government will hold a first ministerial taskforce meeting to tackle what he called “a national crisis.”

The prime minister told a parliamentary session earlier Monday that he doesn’t think the problem can be resolved unless Japan makes a counter proposal and that Japan needs to propose how the two countries can make a new relationship as a package. Ishiba, however, said he is not considering a retaliatory measure because it only makes things worse.

Ishiba said the government will do everything it can to help the industries affected, especially small and medium sized business owners.

European Union will focus on global trade beyond the US

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a statement after a meeting of the college of commissioners at EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, April 14, 2021. EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced plans Wednesday for a major contract extension for COVID-19 vaccines with Pfizer stretching to 2023. (John Thys, Pool via AP)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a statement after a meeting of the college of commissioners at EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, April 14, 2021. EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced plans Wednesday for a major contract extension for COVID-19 vaccines with Pfizer stretching to 2023. (John Thys, Pool via AP)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the European Union is looking to do more business elsewhere in the world as President Trump’s tariffs hit international trade.

She said Monday that the EU is also is setting up a taskforce to monitor any dumping on its markets that might happen as trade patterns change.

“We will focus like a laser beam on the 83% of global trade that is beyond the United States. Vast opportunities,” von der Leyen said. After deals already done with Mexico and Switzerland, she said, “we’re working on India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and many others.”

Von der Leyen says the taskforce will help to monitor any unexpected surges in imports and “protect ourselves against indirect effects through trade diversion.”

The European Commission negotiates trade deals and disputes on behalf of the 27 EU member countries.

Von der Leyen insists the EU still wants a deal with the Trump administration, but that “we are preparing a potential list for retaliation, and other measures for retaliation, if this is necessary.”

JPMorgan CEO says tariffs will slow economy

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says the Trump administration’s trade policies will likely result in higher prices for both imported and domestic goods and services, weighing on an already slowing U.S. economy.

              FILE - In this April 4, 2017 file photo, Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, discusses his Annual Letter to Shareholders at the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America in Washington.  President Donald Trump is scoffing at a claim by Dimon that he could beat Trump in an election. Trump tweeted Thursday that Dimon is a

FILE – In this April 4, 2017 file photo, Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, discusses his Annual Letter to Shareholders at the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America in Washington. (Paul Morigi/AP Images for JPMorgan Chase)

In his annual letter to shareholders, released Monday, Dimon said the U.S. economy already faced a number of challenges: sticky inflation, geopolitical tensions, Federal Reserve policy including still-high interest rates and high fiscal deficits. Dimon also said that many stocks in the market have been priced too high.

The outspoken and influential CEO often comments on both domestic and international issues.

“Whether or not the menu of tariffs causes a recession remains in question, but it will slow down growth,” Dimon wrote, while also saying “I still have an abiding faith in America.”

JUST IN: Dow drops 1,200 as worries deepen about economic impact of Trump’s trade war

Goldman Sachs says tariff announcement may have caused irreversible damage

FILE - The logo for Goldman Sachs appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Goldman Sachs saw its third quarter earnings fall 33%, with the investment bank seeing muted market conditions that allowed fewer deals and market making opportunities for the firm, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE – The logo for Goldman Sachs appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Goldman Sachs saw its third quarter earnings fall 33%, with the investment bank seeing muted market conditions that allowed fewer deals and market making opportunities for the firm, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

The financial firm said a recession has become more likely even if Trump retreats from his trade policies.

Goldman Sachs also reduced its expectations for economic growth “following a sharp tightening in financial conditions, foreign consumer boycotts, and a continued spike in policy uncertainty that is likely to depress capital spending by more than we had previously assumed.”

But even meeting those expectations “would now require a large reduction in the tariffs scheduled to take effect on April 9.”

Trump digs his heels in

In a Truth Social post Monday morning, the president showed no interest in changing course despite turmoil in global markets.

He said other countries had been “taking advantage of the Good OL’ USA” on international trade.

“Our past ‘leaders’ are to blame for allowing this, and so much else, to happen to our Country,” he wrote. “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Trump criticized China for increasing its own tariffs and “not acknowledging my warning for abusing countries not to retaliate.”

Netanyahu will be the first foreign leader to meet with Trump since the tariff announcement

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Yair Sagi/Pool Photo via AP)

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Yair Sagi/Pool Photo via AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington Monday. Whether his visit succeeds in bringing down or eliminating Israel’s 17% tariff remains to be seen, but how it plays out could set the stage for how other world leaders try to address the new tariffs.

Netanyahu’s office has put the focus of his hastily organized Washington visit on the tariffs, while stressing that the two leaders will discuss major geopolitical issues including the war in Gaza, tensions with Iran, Israel-Turkey ties and the International Criminal Court.

In a preemptive move last week, Israel announced that it was removing all tariffs on goods from the U.S., mostly on imported food and agricultural products.

A snapshot of global markets

  • Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index lost nearly 8% shortly after the market opened and futures trading for the benchmark was briefly suspended. It closed down 7.8% at 31,136.58.
  • Germany’s DAX index briefly fell more than 10% at the open on the Frankfurt exchange, but recovered some ground to move down 5.8% in morning trading.
  • France’s CAC 40 shed 5.8% in morning trading.
  • Britain’s FTSE 100 lost 4.9% in morning trading.
  • Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 13.2% to 19,828.30.
  • Shanghei’s Composite index lost 7.3% to 3,096.58.
  • Taiwan’s Taiex plummeted 9.7%.
  • South Korea’s Kospi lost 5.6% to 2,328.20.
  • Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 4.2% to 7,343.30, recovering from a loss of more than 6%.
  • India’s benchmark BSE Sensex and the Nifty 50 index both dropped about 5% after trading opened but then recovered slightly.
  • Dubai’s Financial Market exchange fell 5% as it opened for the week.
  • Abu Dhabi’s Securities Exchange fell 4%.
  • Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul stock exchangewhich opened Sunday, fell over 6% in trading. The giant of the exchange, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company Aramco, fell over 5% on its own, wiping away billions in market capitalization for the world’s sixth-most-valuable company.
  • Pakistan’s stock exchange suspended trading for an hour after a 5% drop in its main KSE-30 index.

Trump called tariffs ‘medicine’ as he promised not to back down

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he won’t back down on his sweeping tariffs on imports from most of the world unless countries even out their trade with the U.S., digging in on his plans to implement the taxes that have sent financial markets reeling.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One late Sunday, President Donald Trump said he didn’t want global markets to fall, but also that he wasn’t concerned about the massive sell-off either, adding, “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.”

“I spoke to a lot of leaders, European, Asian, from all over the world,” Trump said. “They’re dying to make a deal. And I said, we’re not going to have deficits with your country. We’re not going to do that, because to me a deficit is a loss. We’re going to have surpluses or at worst, going to be breaking even.”

Panic Monday: World stock markets plunge again

By ELAINE KURTENBACH, DAVID MCHUGH

Global stock markets extended a severe plunge Monday, fueled by fears that U.S. tariffs would lead to a global economic slowdown. European and Asian shares saw dramatic losses, the leading U.S. index flirted with bear market territory in pre-market trading, and oil prices sagged.

The massive sell-off in riskier assets at the start of the trading week follows President Donald Trump’s announcement of sharply higher U.S. import taxes and retaliation from China that saw mar kets fall sharply Thursday and Friday.

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The Dictatorship

In the wake of the Virginia ruling, where does the national redistricting arms race stand?

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In the wake of the Virginia ruling, where does the national redistricting arms race stand?

In Virginia, a majority of the House of Delegates voted to approve a new congressional district map that was designed to help Democrats add as many as four seats in the U.S. House. A majority of the state Senate agreed, as did the commonwealth’s popularly elected governor. The issue then went to the people of Virginia, and a majority of voters backed the redistricting initiative, too.

A majority of the Virginia Supreme Court, however, rejected the plan anyway. MS NOW reported:

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a voter-approved congressional redistricting plan, ruling that Democrats violated constitutional procedures when placing the referendum on the ballot for last month’s special election. […]

In its 4-3 decision, the court on Friday found that the process used to place the amendment on the ballot did not comply with Virginia’s constitutional rules governing how such proposals must be approved by the legislature before being presented to voters. As a result, the justices upheld a lower court ruling that blocks the amendment from being certified and implemented.

For Democratic efforts on the national level, the ruling is an unexpected gut punch, especially given the fact that after Virginia voters approved the overhauled map last month, it appeared that Democrats would be able to keep pace with the GOP as part of the broader redistricting fight.

What’s more, the state Supreme Court ruling comes on the heels of a similarly brutal blow after Republican-appointed U.S. Supreme Court justices gutted the Voting Rights Act, which opened the door even further to an intensified Republican effort to erase majority-Black congressional districts in the South.

Given all of this, it’s easy to imagine many Americans responding to the head-spinning developments with a simple question: “So where do things stand now?”

Before we dig in on that, it’s worth pausing to acknowledge the absurdity of the circumstances. For generations, states redrew congressional district lines after the decennial census. There were limited exceptions, but in nearly all of those instances, mid-decade redistricting only happened when courts told states that their maps were unlawful and needed to be redone.

The idea that politicians would simply choose to start redrawing maps, in the middle of a decade, in pursuit of partisan advantages, was practically unheard of.

Last year, however, Donald Trump, fearing the results of the 2026 midterm elections and the possible accountability that would result from Democratic victories, decided that the American model needed to be discarded. It was time, the president said, to pursue what one White House official described as a campaign of “maximum warfare” in which Republican officials in key states would embrace gerrymandering without regard for fairness, norms, traditions or propriety.

The goal was simple: Deliver Republican victories in congressional races long before Americans had a chance to cast their ballots.

The result was an arms race that’s still going on — and here’s where things stand.

A map of the United States highlighting states that have redrawn their congressional maps
As of May 8, 2026. *Virginia’s voter-approved congressional redistricting plan was struck down by the Virginia Supreme Court Ben King / MS NOW; Source: MaddowBlog election analysis

Texas: Republicans in the Lone Star State got the ball rolling last summer, acting at Trump’s behest and approving a map designed to give Republicans five additional U.S. House seats. It touched off the national arms race.

California: Responding to Texas, Democratic officials in the Golden State, as well as the state’s voters, approved a map of their own designed to give Democrats five additional U.S. House seats.

Missouri: In September, state Republicans approved a map designed to give the GOP one additional seat.

North Carolina: In October, state Republicans approved a map designed to give Republicans one additional seat.

Ohio: While the redistricting effort in the Buckeye State wasn’t as brazen as it was elsewhere, Ohio’s new map diluted two Democratic-held districts, creating GOP pickup opportunities.

Utah: A state court approved a new map that will likely give Democrats one additional seat.

Florida: Just this week, Republicans completed the process on a new map designed to give Republicans as many as four additional seats.

Tennessee: Also this week, Republicans approved a new map designed to give Republicans one additional seat, taking advantage of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling.

Louisiana: While the newly redrawn map in the Pelican State hasn’t been formally unveiled, it will reportedly add one additional Republican seat.

Alabama: Republicans are currently moving forward with plans for a map that would give Republicans two more seats.

It’s important to emphasize that some of these maps are currently facing legal challenges, while others are still taking shape. Most of these maps would take effect during this year’s election cycle, but there’s still some uncertainty surrounding the implementation date in some states.

Nevertheless, the Virginia map that enjoyed popular public support was prepared to help mitigate an unprecedented Republican abuse. The state Supreme Court in the commonwealth appears to have removed that option.

After Virginia voters had their say, many GOP officials questioned whether the entire gerrymandering gambit had been a waste of time and effort. In the aftermath of two highly controversial court rulings, Republicans are suddenly feeling a lot better about the whole scheme.

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The Dictatorship

You asked, Joe answered

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You asked, Joe answered

This is the May 8, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe hereto get it delivered straight to your inbox every Monday through Friday.

This Mother’s Day, I’ll be thinking about my mom, Mary Jo Scarboroughjust as I do every day.

I wrote about Mom in the Washington Post the week she died in 2019:

My first memory of Mom was her comforting presence at my side while a late night thunderstorm roared over our neighborhood in suburban Atlanta.

Mom softly sang “Where Is Love?” from the musical “Oliver!” and then told me how reciting the 23rd Psalm aloud would bring peace.

I may not have felt that blessed assurance as a 4-year-old, but my mother’s presence always brought peace.

Mom and I were emotionally inseparable for 55 years, and as she lay dying, I wanted her life to end the way my memories of her began. I quietly told her she would continue living on in the hearts of those she loved, and that more importantly, she would soon be reunited with Dad.

I knew Mom could hear my quiet words, just as I knew what she would whisper back if she could:

“Joey, be more careful with your words. If you keep talking down Republicans, you might just elect a Democrat.”

That was Mom. A steel magnolia. A Southern Baptist. A traditional Republican.

She would scarcely recognize her church or party seven years later, and would tell me to keep up the fight she helped me begin 32 years ago when I first ran for Congress.

“Judge yourself by your enemies, Joey,” she would say when things got tough. Then she’d say, “Don’t let them get the best of you. Keep fighting!”

Mom was raised an FDR Democrat and couldn’t stand extremists on any side.

She would especially be offended by the excessive cruelty of right-wing politicians who justify their hatred of others by twisted views of what they call “Christianity.”

Faith always eclipsed politics in our home. And when things got too crazy in Washington, Mom would quote an old gospel song: “This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.”

Well, Mom, I’m so grateful that I was part of your journey on this Earth. And on this Mother’s Day weekend, I thank you for continuing to be a part of my life for as long as I’m blessed to live.

I love you,

Joey

ON THE CALENDAR

In New York, the Macy’s Flower Show wraps its final weekend at Herald Square — store windows in full bloom, stained-glass sunsets, fabric-draped planters. A perfect Mother’s Day outing. Go before it’s gone.

In the nation’s capital, the Arab American Culture Festival returns to Eighth Street for its fourth year, with food from places such as Morocco and Palestine, dabke dance troupes, and live Arabic music.

In the Windy City, Broadway’s longest-running musical, “Chicago,” brings its Jazz Age murder trials and celebrity media circus home for five nights at The Auditorium.

Atlanta’s”https://www.sweetauburn.com/faq”> Sweet Auburn Springfest turns 40 this weekend — four decades of culture, music, and community in the neighborhood that gave the Civil Rights Movement its heartbeat.

You can’t spell “laugh” without L.A. and “ugh” — or so says Netflix Is a Joke. The stand-up comedy festival takes over Hollywood this weekend with 350 shows: Jenny Slate, John Mulaney, Jerry Seinfeldand more.

Myrtle Beach Bike Week descends on the Grand Strand for 10 days this weekend, bringing half a million riders and considerably more leather than the average beach vacation.

The NBA Conference Semifinals are on all weekend. Knicks vs. Sixers on Friday and Sunday. Pistons vs. Cavaliers on Saturday. Thunder vs. Lakers Saturday night on ABC.

In Buffalo, the Sabres host the Canadiens Sunday on ESPN, in their first playoff appearance in 14 years.

And the Red Sox are home at Fenway against Tampa Bay.

Now, let’s check some mail.

MAILBAG

Thank you again to all our readers who wrote in this week. As always, you’re welcome to write to us any time.

I just want to thank you for naming the “Ballroom” the Marie Antoinette Ballroom. It is so appropriate. If [Sen. Lindsey] Graham is successful in making us pay for it, what happens to the $300 million in donations? Does Trump pocket it?

— Katherine G., Moorhead, Minn.

If past is prologue, we can assume the president will try to pocket any money he has raised for his own use. The bigger question for me is why Republican leaders were so tone-deaf that they voluntarily proposed taking $1 billion from taxpayers to fund this grotesque vanity project.

With gas prices skyrocketing, healthcare bills becoming more expensive by the day, and groceries taking a huge bite out of working Americans’ paychecks, a Marie Antoinette-style ballroom is the last thing most Americans want or need.

If there is a reduction in Social Security and Medicare coming, why should I, as a retiree and disabled veteran, be happy for the U.S. government to allocate $400 million for an unneeded ballroom and funds for an arch that is not needed?

— Joe W., Warsaw, Wis.

Thank you for your service to America, Joe.

You can look at my answer above to your question as well. Also, add to that the record deficits and crippling debt that Trump Republicans are passing on to Americans every day.

This week, America’s debt surpassed our country’s gross domestic product for the only time since World War II. Golden ballrooms and gaudy arches are the last thing America needs right now.

Republicans are spending like drunken socialists and they need to stop now. The cost to the next generation will be devastating.

Do you think it’s too late to save America? The government gets more out of touch every day. Even if Democrats win in November, so much damage has already been done. Thanks.

— Curtis E., Charlotte, N.C.

Curtis, America has survived slavery, 48 recessions, a civil war, Jim Crow laws, two world wars, Japanese internment camps, 1960s riots, Vietnam, Watergate, 9/11, two pandemics, and more crises than I can list here.

We will survive the challenges facing us now as well. We must remain vigilant and determined, and keep our heads about us. America is worth the struggle, especially when we have Madison’s Constitution and 250 years of history on our side.

If the “mutual destruction” argument worked to keep nuclear bombs off the list of Russian options for so many years, why doesn’t that argument work against the Iranians?

— Pat Q., Troy, Ohio

Because Iranian leaders who have ruled that country by terror since 1979 know they are fighting for their very lives.

For Donald Trumpthe stakes are midterm elections that matter little to him. Still, as gas approaches $5 a gallon nationally, the political pressure for Trump to cut and run is becoming too great. That’s why the president ignored repeated Iranian attacks on U.S. warships and called our countermeasures a “love tap.”

What a weak, dangerous message to send to our enemies. Let’s hope the president shows real strength soon. Our national security depends on it.

ONE MORE SHOT

Steve Bardens/Getty Images Getty Images

Sean Levey (in red), riding Secret Santa, wins the Ascot Hospitality Handicap Stakes at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England.

That’s all the time we have, folks.

Thanks so much for your letters and for reading The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe.

Have a great weekend.

Joe

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The Dictatorship

The Iran war’s unexpected victims: American farmers

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John Bartman knows the challenges of being a farmer. His family has been tilling Illinois soil since James K. Polk sat in the Oval Office, weathering droughts, trade disputes, market crashes and a Civil War in the process.

But now, with Donald Trump behind the Resolute Desk, fertilizer shipments have been halted through the Strait of Hormuz — a choke point for roughly one-third of the world’s fertilizer supply — and the resulting price spike is causing Bartman’s profits to disappear.

After years of turmoil for American farmers, “it’s just another straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Bartman said.

New data from the American Farm Bureau Federationan agricultural lobbying firm, warns that Bartman isn’t alone: Some 70% of American farmers may be unable to afford all the fertilizer their fields require.

It’s the latest in a series of economic headwinds that have slammed the U.S. agricultural industry over the past decade, causing farm bankruptcies to jump 46% from 2024 to 2025. The AFBF reported that this year 58% of its members said their financial situation had worsened since early 2025, while just 6% reported improvement.

Map: Carson Elm-Picard / MS NOW; Source: American Farm Bureau Federation

“Many farms were broadly in a situation of net negative margins, where they’re losing money, and this just compounds the problem,” Shawn Arita, the associate director of North Dakota State University’s Agricultural Risk Policy Center, said of the fertilizer shortage. “It was a very difficult situation before March 1, and now it’s certainly a lot more challenging.”

The shortage has caused the price of fertilizer jump from around $400 per ton in January to more than $600 per ton this week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The impact of those high prices won’t be felt evenly across the U.S. — only 19% of Southern farmers preordered fertilizer before the price increased, compared with 30% in the Northeast, 31% in the West and 67% in the Midwest, according to the AFBF.

Chart: Carson Elm-Picard / MS NOW; Source: American Farm Bureau Federation

Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, have sought to downplay the severity of the inflation.

Rollins told Fox Business that “America has plenty of fertilizer” for its farmers, and Vance acknowledged the shortage but dismissed the conflict behind the inflation as “a little blip in the Middle East” during a speech on Tuesday. That same day, Rubio echoed Rollins’ claimsaying that it was only Iran’s fertilizer, not the United States’, that was stranded in the Persian Gulf.

While the U.S. is a major exporter of fertilizer globally, it still produces only about 9% of the global supply and remains a net importer of the good, according to the USDA, meaning that supply chain disruptions on the other side of the world still affect domestic market prices.

That could be why Rollins is now considering reviving a Biden-era initiative that pledged $900 million to funding the construction of new fertilizer plants in the U.S. That initiative, the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program, was eliminated during Trump’s second term “due to Presidential Executive Orders,” according to the USDA website.

Even if the initiative was resuscitated or the Strait of Hormuz reopened tomorrow, farmers would be paying inflated prices through 2027, even into 2028, Arita said. Rep. Don Bacon., R-Neb., a member of the House Agriculture Committee, told MS NOW that the Trump administration should “re-examine their tariff policies” to alleviate the strain on farmers, but did not comment on the effects of the Iran War.

Chart: Carson Elm-Picard / MS NOW; Source: American Farm Bureau Federation

Another committee member, Rep. April McClain Delaney, D-Md., said the high fertilizer prices are “reflective of a much larger crisis” caused by the Trump administration — one that has already hit her constituents.

“Farmers in my district are facing tough choices about whether they can afford to plant at all,” said Delaney, who represents Maryland’s largely rural 6th Congressional District. “This administration’s reckless actions and the flawed farm bill are failing our farmers.”

The House Agriculture Committee’s Republican leadership, Chairman Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania and Vice Chairman Austin Scott of Georgia, did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

Fertilizer inflation isn’t the only thing pushing up costs for farmers; diesel prices in the U.S. have jumped from about $3.80 at the start of the war to more than $5.60 as of May 4 , according to USDA data. That in turn has made it more expensive for all farmers to do business — even small growers like Leah Dannar-Garcia, an organic farmer in Wichita, Kansas, who doesn’t use synthetic fertilizer.

“Farms have been just hanging on with the soybean debacle last year,” Dannar-Garcia said, referring to the Trump administration’s $20 billion bailout of Argentinawhich spurred China to reduce its U.S. agricultural imports. “It’s had a devastating effect.”

As a soybean farmer, Bartman was particularly affected by that decision. Arita said the situation now is having an “asymmetric impact” on American agriculturalists, as farmers are paying more to grow and sell their crops, but aren’t necessarily able to raise prices on consumers to match. That in turn leads to lost profit and endangered livelihoods.

“They’re running the American farmer into the ground and out of business,” Bartman said of the Trump administration. “The only thing that is cheaper today than three years ago in the United States is a bushel of soybeans.”

Adam Hudacek is a desk associate for MS NOW covering national politics in Washington, D.C.

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