The Media Research Center found that 92% of the coverage of President Trump’s first 100 days was negative, so it won’t be a surprise that the financial media is untrustworthy.  Nevertheless, it is still an opportunity to document how blatantly biased they are.

Last week, the press could barely restrain their glee in covering the apparent downturn in GDP numbers in the first quarter with “I told you so…” type headlines.  “Apparent” because beneath the deceptive and oversimplified headline number, which suggested a mild economic contraction, things are much more sanguine.  As Larry Kudlow pointed out, predictions of a recession are fake news — the core economy actually grew 3% in Q1 2025.

The fakery gets worse. Below I present some examples related to the blinkered coverage of President Trump’s tariffs. In essence, there is an inherent contradiction as the financial media tries to have it both ways, as long as they can criticize Trump.

On the one hand, they excoriate Trump’s tariffs for upending the global financial system.  But doesn’t this blame fall on China, and other nations that are ripping us off?  We’re just finally reciprocating to remedy unsustainable imbalances.

On the other hand, when he shows flexibility they provide a peevishly pessimistic perception, such as accusing him of blinking.  Like vacillating “econo-missed” prognosticators, when it appears trade negotiations are progressing in our favor, they intone negativity.  It’s just incongruous as nations are lining up, virtually begging for trade deals with our great consumer-dominated market.

Here is a list of fake news headlines (with links) disseminating the “Trump blinked” narrative, followed by a contradictory list founded upon reality — China blinked. 

• “Trump Officially Caves: Tariffs on China Will Drop”
• “The month that Trump blinked on trade”
• “Trump blinks first in trade war he started”
• “Trump Blinks”
• “Trump Blinks in U.S.-China Trade War. What Comes Next Will Be the Hard Part”

On the other hand, sometimes reality catches up.   Due to internal political dynamics, China can’t overtly surrender in the trade war; after all, they publicly declared they will “fight to the end.”  But they are doing a lot of blinking behind the Chinese red curtain, for example:

• “China ‘assessing’ potential trade talks with US”
• “Beijing Weighs Fentanyl Offer to U.S. to Start Trade Talks”
• “China signals openness to trade talks”
• “China says it’s evaluating the possibility of trade talks with the U.S.”
• “China is ‘caving’ to Trump's trade war strategy, expert signals”
• “Inside Factories in China, a Struggle to Survive Trump’s Tariffs”

That President Trump has compelled intransigent China to “evaluate the possibility of trade talks” is impressive considering that they steal our intellectual property, are suffocated by hubris, and are quick to take umbrage.  Turns out that Xi Jinping, who claims China will become the dominant world power within thirty years, is not only blinking, but twitching.  Trump, exhibiting magnanimity that seems to be lacking in the CCP, still likes Xi very much.

We have freedom of the press, but much of our press, being mentally imprisoned by TDS, is not free.  They are blinkered.  In their warped mindset, tariffs are bad even if the goal is reciprocity with now-developed nations. However, when trade negotiations may reduce them, then Trump has blinked.

Don’t blink too long in Trump time, for, at least at this point, it is a precariously positioned China who is discreetly saying “uncle” to Uncle Sam.  They are blinking now.

Image: Public domain.