Trump Celebrates Last Week’s ‘Largest Gain’ In Stock Market History—But Stocks Are Still Down During His Second Term

Forbes - Apr 14th, 2025
Open on Forbes

President Donald Trump celebrated a historic stock market surge last week after easing tariffs, which he highlighted during a White House appearance with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. The Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq saw their largest single-day point gains ever, although this was not the biggest percentage jump in history. Despite the rally, the market downturn during Trump's second term remains significant, with indexes down since Election Day. The temporary exemption of Chinese smartphone imports, particularly benefiting Apple, contributed to the modest market rise on Monday.

Trump's focus on the stock market as a success measure has been evident since his first term, yet the recent tariffs led to significant losses, with the S&P dropping 19% from its February high. The bond market's reaction to these tariffs, indicating recession fears, influenced Trump to pause the tariffs, aiming to stabilize the market. This decision underscores the complex interplay between policy decisions and market reactions, highlighting the broader economic implications of trade policies and their political significance as Trump navigates his presidency.

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RATING

6.0
Moderately Fair
Read with skepticism

The article provides a timely and relevant look at the impact of trade policies on the stock market, presenting a balanced view of recent events. While it accurately reports on the stock market surge and President Trump's statements, the story could benefit from more comprehensive sourcing and transparency. The narrative is clear and accessible, making it suitable for a general audience interested in economic affairs. However, the lack of detailed expert analysis and broader context limits its impact and engagement potential. Overall, the article effectively covers a significant topic but could be strengthened by deeper exploration and more diverse perspectives.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The story accurately reports on the stock market surge following President Trump's tariff adjustments, noting the significant gains in major indexes. It correctly identifies that the surge was not the largest on a percentage basis, providing a nuanced view of the claim. However, the story could be clearer about the historical context of these gains, as well as the ongoing losses since the beginning of Trump's second term. The claim about Apple benefiting from tariff exemptions is also accurate, but the potential profit hit figure lacks a direct citation. Overall, the story presents factual information but could benefit from additional sourcing and precision in some areas.

6
Balance

The article presents multiple perspectives, including Trump's celebration of the stock market gains and the counterpoint regarding the overall market performance during his term. However, it leans slightly towards emphasizing Trump's narrative of success without equally highlighting the broader economic context or dissenting economic analyses. The inclusion of the 'Contra' section helps balance the narrative but could be more robust in presenting opposing viewpoints from economic experts or political analysts.

8
Clarity

The article is generally clear and well-structured, with a logical flow that guides the reader through the key points. The language is straightforward, making the complex topic of stock market movements accessible to a general audience. However, some sections could be more detailed to enhance understanding, particularly regarding the implications of the stock market changes and the broader economic context.

5
Source quality

The article lacks specific attributions to sources or expert opinions, which diminishes its credibility. While it references events and statements made by President Trump, it does not provide citations from financial analysts or economists to substantiate claims about market movements or the impact of tariffs. The story would benefit from a wider range of authoritative sources to enhance its reliability and depth.

4
Transparency

The article does not clearly disclose the methodology or sources used to derive its claims. There is a lack of transparency regarding the basis for some financial figures and the context for the stock market movements. The story would benefit from clearer explanations of how the data was gathered and any potential conflicts of interest that might affect the reporting.

Sources

  1. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stock-market-down-trump-tariff-trade-war-04-10-2025/
  2. https://fortune.com/2025/04/10/trump-market-rebound-tariffs-art-of-the-deal/