'I Do Better In Bad Markets': Trump's 2012 Comments Gain Steam As Tariff 'Medicine' Wrecks Global Stocks And Sparks Fears Of Deliberate Economic Fallout

An old clip from The Men Who Built America is causing an uproar on social media as financial markets reel from Donald Trump's tariff policies.

In the 2012 History Channel mini-series, Trump said, "I find that I do better in bad markets," adding that downturns create the best buying opportunities. More than ten years later, critics are asking whether that approach is now playing out in real time in Trump's second presidential term.

What Happened: Trump has imposed extensive tariffs—ranging from 10% to 50%—on imports from dozens of countries, calling the move economic "medicine." Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump trivialized concerns over trillions in lost market value, saying, "Sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something", Reuters reports.

Global markets have gone haywire since the tariffs came into effect. Taiwan's benchmark index experienced its worst one-day drop in history. Japan's Nikkei faced an 18-month low, and oil prices collapsed.

See Also: Stock Futures Tank, Dow Sheds Over 1000 Points As White House Remains Firm On Tariffs: Trump Says, ‘Sometimes You Have To Take Medicine’

Why It Matters: Trump pitched the tariffs as a play to protect U.S. manufacturing and reshape trade norms—but the wider economic cost may be high. JP Morgan now predicts that the U.S. economy will shrink this year. Goldman Sachs cut back China's growth forecast.

Central banks in New Zealand and Indonesia are already preparing emergency strategies, according to Reuters.

This backdrop is giving fresh weight to Trump's decade-old comments. If asset values plunge and cash-rich investors move in to buy low, many fear this may be less of an unintentional side effect—and more of a playbook.

There is no direct proof that Trump is engineering an economic downturn. But the attitude outlined in the resurfaced quote, and the administration's readiness to absorb massive losses, has reignited conjecture. Critics argue that ordinary consumers endure the burdens of inflation and job losses, while the ultra-rich stand to gain if markets bottom out.

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