Unpredictability has become a trademark of President Trump’s economic policies, which resemble a yo-yo in motion. While the United States has long held a dominant role in global economics, his erratic leadership has introduced a new level of uncertainty, particularly in his use
of tariffs, which have fluctuated wildly — up and down — with no clear strategy or predictability.

The stock market, tethered to these shifts, mirrors the same volatility, reacting sharply to each adjustment. At the heart of the “yo-yo presidency” is the principle that tariffs are an effective means to protect and expand the American economy. Trump’s position is clear: tariffs will bring jobs and factories back to America, increase national wealth and reduce the trade deficit. (Very few economists and historians agree!)

But rather than fostering predictable tariffs, it is a game of yes and no, up and down, raise and reduce, only next to be … what? Is it a nightly whim? Something to attract eyes to Truth (ha) Social? (One wonders if the president’s family and investment partners are benefiting with insider information. But that is another story.)

The volatility of tariffs under this yo-yo style creates massive uncertainty in domestic and global markets. Businesses are left scrambling to adjust. Do I build a new factory that will take years to construct when the future terrain is uncertain? Do I invest in new plants? Automate? Are there trained workers? Doubt and confusion prevail. Farmers, in particular, are hit hard by retaliatory tariffs. Who will buy my crops? Do I plant or fallow the fields?

This unpredictability doesn’t just affect America. It also strains relationships with key allies who are forced to respond to the tariffs with protective countermeasures. Apparently, our yo-yo president has no need of friends now or in the future. He wants subservience, the world at his feet. Is it more an ego trip? To demonstrate who’s boss? They must come to me to make a deal! Make sure the cameras are rolling! (To mix metaphors, it is also a game of “Chicken.” What foreign leader will blink first and come to the president on bended knee for a “deal”?)

This on-and-off tariff strategy reveals a profound misunderstanding of how global markets and international diplomacy work. Trade wars are not simply about imposing tariffs and hoping for the best; they require consistency, strategic alliances and an understanding of the long-term impacts.

In contrast, the yo-yo approach leaves American and world businesses skittish, unsure, unable to plan for the future, build or retire, invest or divest, hire or fire. Instability rules the day.

Ultimately, the yo-yo presidency demonstrates that short-term, shaky victories might come at the cost of long-term prosperity. The cycle of tariffs — a never-ending tug-of-war — leaves the American economy, and the global marketplace, insecure and exhausted.