Donald Trump’s Unhinged Weekend
Author: Greg Valliere
March 31, 2025
A FRIEND ON CAPITOL HILL nailed it: Trump cannot restrain himself; he needs to be the center of attention and shows no discipline. Here’s a quick summary of what Trump said this weekend:
TRUMP IS PUSHING his aides to get even more aggressive on tariffs, while at the same time hinting he could soften his stance. Got that?
THIS MORNING’S WALL STREET JOURNAL lists the tariff options Trump is considering — it’s a head-spinning list, with no decision yet from the White House with only two days to go.
THIRD TERM: “I’M SERIOUS,” Trump said this weekend about running for a third term, even though the Constitution prohibits it. Why is he considering it? “Because so many people are urging me to run,” Trump said.
VLADIMIR PUTIN IS “PISSING ME OFF” because the Russian president has been critical of Volodymyr Zelensky,” Trump said. Trump apparently can’t get Putin to bend and embrace a truce in the war — and the prospect of no deal infuriates Trump.
MILITARY ACTION TO CAPTURE GREENLAND is still on the table, Trump said, although he added that he hopes that won’t be necessary.
THE SECURITY BREACH last weekend was a “witch hunt,” except the White House leaked this weekend that Trump is contemplating firing national security adviser Mike Waltz.
ALL OF THIS AND MORE obscures “Liberation Day,” on Wednesday, when tariffs will be launched. They could raise $7 trillion in the next ten years, White House trade ideologue Peter Navarro says. But the tariffs aren’t about fentanyl; that’s not part of the narrative any more.
WHY ALL OF THIS IS IMPORTANT: The financial markets don’t know what to believe, as leaks and more leaks dominate Washington in the next few days. Markets hate uncertainty.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO STOP THIS? There are elections tomorrow; a very close outcome is likely in Wisconsin, where a key judicial seat could go to the Democrats. Republicans should win two House seats in Florida, although the margins could be smaller than expected.
THESE ELECTIONS WON’T BE SUFFICIENT to stop Trump. The financial markets may have to send him and his advisers more signals, but who wants to see confused markets just as the economy shows signs of softening?
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