Fund managers quietly fear Trump doesn't have a tariff plan and that he 'might be insane'

[PA Democrat]

As President Donald Trump’s back-and-forth on trade policies creates chaos in the financial markets, some fund managers are questioning the rationality of his decisions.

“In the last few days, we have had many conversations with macro fund managers,” Tom Lee, the head of research at the financial analysis firm FSInsights, wrote on Wednesday morning, before Trump backed down from most of his tariffs on U.S. trading partners.

“And their concern is that the White House is not acting rationally, but rather on ideology. And some even fear that this may not even be ideology,” he added. “A few have quietly wondered if the President might be insane.”

Lee’s comments were highlighted by The New Republic.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/fund-managers-quietly-fear-trump-doesn-t-have-a-tariff-plan-and-that-he-might-be-insane/ar-AA1CGm2F?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=84b71f3938d24e7fba1b781a78ae4d66&ei=14

[Ocelot II]

1. Insane? Ya think?

[Scrivener7]

2. And senile.

[underpants]

11. Narrator: He's nuts

[RainCaster]

105. "fuckin nuts"

Maybe I shouldn't be so crass, but TSF has something wrong with his head. Really wrong.

[Mr. Evil]

25. Wow. Might be?

That's the most blatant misspelling of 'is' I've ever seen.

[Magoo48]

79. These folks are a little late to the dance aren't they?

[Mr. Evil]

93. Hah! As if they missed it by a week!

[Dulcinea]

54. As my daughter would say, "Well, duh!"

[tavernier]

95. Crazier than a shithouse rat

is how my hubby used to put it.

[Haggard Celine]

109. My dad says 'crazy as a sprayed roach.'

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Insane, demented, narcissistic personality disorder, stupid

I wonder if it matters what the exact mix is. I think it is a combination of all four.

[PatSeg]

27. Yes, quite an impressive mix of disorders

It certainly isn't about ideology as Trump doesn't have any. He enjoys the power of affecting the entire world on a whim and if people disagree with him, he just doubles-down. Looks awfully crazy to me.

[William Seger]

34. Narcissist + psychopath: malignant narcissist

It's the psychopathy (antisocial personality disorder) that compels him to lie and cheat his way through every aspect of his life, without remorse or empathy, in service of his bloated but extremely fragile narcissistic ego.

[PatSeg]

39. Yes and I've known some people like him

But they didn't have any power or money.

[bdamomma]

52. can

we crack his "fragile" ego???? Sharks?????

[Meowmee]

122. This, pretty obvious too.

[Gak73]

59. Maybe even

Demonic

[Bernardo de La Paz]

62. Nonsense. . . . nt

[LiberalArkie]

61. And never was spanked as a child.. My dad asked me to get his belt and that was all the incentive I needed.

[Random Boomer]

65. He was emotionally abused instead

And we're all paying the price for Fred Trump's bad parenting.

[LiberalArkie]

75. I would say lack of parenting and leaving it up to the military school for training in "Civilized Behavior"

[IbogaProject]

118. May have been first to be reared mostly via TV?

On top of all the rest of his Mom & Dad's evil.

[EYESORE 9001]

4. Insanity?

How about the four-flushers who follow his lead. To my way of thinking, following crazy is indicative of craziness on the part of the follower.

[PatSeg]

28. And also indicative of a cult following

Once cultists are hooked, they'll believe anything their leader says.

[EYESORE 9001]

51. I'd opine they were in a cult before MAGAtry became a thing

That cult is rapacious capitalism. Each one is inculcated to do what they are told when it comes to precious manna, even if it sets their hair on fire when they hear it.

This goes out to each and every last motherscratching one of them.

Viddy well, little brothers (as is predominantly the case). Viddy well.

[Kid Berwyn]

5. "Allegedly" is a word journalists interested in avoiding libel suits once liked to use.

As in: The allegedly insane unstable moron jumped the quick brown fox to hump the golden settee in Bonesaw's waiting room.

[sop]

6. It's not a "tariff plan," it's a market manipulation scheme.

And, yes...he is still insane.

[Tadpole Raisin]

7. And yet everything he has done and other republicans have done

to the American people, they still manage to convince people from all walks of life that Democrats will destroy the country.

Looks like soon we’ll be able to say of the 10 highest point drops in the market, all of them were under tRump.

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!

[notinkansas]

119. Or to put it another way -

Smoke on your pipe and put that in!

West Side Story.

[RobinA]

8. They're Concerned

that the White House isn't acting rationally? Gee, ya think? The ship sailed on that one some time in 2016.

[OLDMDDEM]

9. Trump is what he said about Joe Biden. He is nuts and a liar. You cannot trust or believe him.

[Hekate]

82. Every accusation from trump is a confession. Every damned one of them.

[OLDMDDEM]

96. I totally agree.

[Gaugamela]

10. They know what he is. They're not wondering, they're signaling to their Republican apparatchiks

that all’s not quiet on the western front, and it’s time move to the next phase: the 25th.

[obamanut2012]

14. I think so, too

[brush]

20. But then we get Vance -- sort of a Hopson's choice.

Last edited Thu Apr 10, 2025, 02:23 PM - Edit history (1)

[Gaugamela]

40. True. I'm just pointing out what I think is happening. But if they do remove him,

which I think is a serious possibility, it will throw the whole party into chaos, rile up their base, and scare off independents. It would be a step in the right direction.

[Wednesdays]

43. Plus, Vance doesn't have the charisma of TSF.

Couch Humper won't be able to hold onto the whole MAGAt cult.

[ShazzieB]

53. I agree.

I agree with what Gaugamela said, and with this.

Also, the entire GOP, including reps and senators, isn't going to be terrified of Vance the way they are of Schlump. That's where Schlump's power comes from, and Vance won't have that power. He's not beholden to Musk in the same way Schlump is, either, and I don't think he'll want to "share" the presidency with Eloon. AND I think he'd be much more willing to listen to rational advice from more experienced people as well.

I'm not trying to paint Vance as a good guy by any means, but I really don't think he and Schlump are 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.

[blubunyip]

99. Agree

Yes that's 47's power-- his status as supreme cult leader and his crazed vindictiveness. After these latest moves, the entire GOP has to admit he's a maniac out of control, drunk with superpowers, going to go for the glory. Gaia help us.

Vance they can live with.

[birdographer]

124. Also agree with you

Plus, let’s not forget all the kompromat donny has on who knows how many republicans. We know that Lindsey is under his thumb because donny knows something Lindsey does not want let out. Blackmail is one of donny’s SOPs—get the goods on someone and use it. Vance has nothing (I’m guessing). Of course, just ousting donny doesn’t do away with the info he has, but what good is it if he is sidelined?

I would much rather donny ceases to exist altogether rather than simply being put out to pasture, but we can’t always get what we want.

[Dulcinea]

57. I've said that all along.

VD Jance lacks the Fascist Felon's salesmanship & ability to sway a crowd. MAGA dies with Trump's exit.

[mwmisses4289]

69. Trump doesn't have charisma or charm or anything.

What he does have is bullying and intimidation.

[maxsolomon]

89. Ah, you discount Dark Charisma.

Which MFer has in spades. It's why he won twice.

Just like Adolf Hitler.

[Historic NY]

125. neither does JD

[brush]

70. Even though chaotic, I kind of like that scenario. Here's hoping...

we all survive it.

[FakeNoose]

68. Didn't we know all along that 25A was the next step?

I remember many posts about it here on DU last summer, as soon as JD Vance was chosen as VP.

[shanti]

83. Could be

Part of the plan. Definitely insane in the membrane.

[notinkansas]

121. Please! Make it so.

[Initech]

12. Yeah, we told you that 10 years ago, you didn't listen.

[PA Democrat]

17. They were too busy counting their tax cuts.

[Tribetime]

103. Until it affects them they don't give a shit

[Jim__]

13. "might be"??? Is that a typo?

[BComplex]

15. Then you idiots shouldn't have voted for him, and contributed to his campaign!

Duh?

On edit: Tom Lee has donated to individual Democratic candidates in the past, so he may not have donated to trump, I really don't know! But a lot of the managers of other funds, and other wall street idiots, definitely did.

[Passages]

16. It is a mistake imo to apply a mental health issue to Trump.

Grifting is not in the DM5.

[PatSeg]

31. I think a person can be both a grifter and mentally ill

And as Trump gets older, his mental instability just gets worse. Of course at heart, he'll always be a dyed-in-the-wool grifter. Now he's just a crazy grifter.

[Wednesdays]

46. This. nt

[Passages]

94. I appreciate what you are saying, I do.

As a New Yorker, I am aware of his long history of horrific judgments and grifting anyone he could. Being stupid and getting away with stiffing people is not crazy. Unfortunately, he has gotten away with most of his pathetic behavior.

Way back in 2000, he wanted tariffs, undefined, and wanted to run for president on a Ross Perrot-type agenda.


I would agree that he fits the narcissist in a DM5, but the insane part, no. He is a slimey, dumb man who is slick at seeing opportunity and will market accordingly. That is how he essentially took over the Republican brand, by himself.

[returnee]

123. Yes it is.

Not under that name, of course, but certainly part of antisocial personality disorder, which is in the DSM5.

[2naSalit]

18. They finally noticed that, huh?

[Rebl2]

19. Oh Really

They are just now figuring that out! This little old lady sitting in a suburb of KCMO could have told you that 20 years ago!!!

[brush]

21. trump knows little and does much. And the nation is the worse for it. Hard to believe we elected this fool twice.

I love the responses to this OP. DU is on top of it.

[MLWR]

22. Fund managers quietly fear Trump doesn't have a tariff plan and that he 'might be insane'

My best bet is that they're 100% correct on both counts.

[BumRushDaShow]

23. "Fund managers"

receive a percentage of their "ROIs" that become their income (vs a salary) and these gyrations in the market are impacting their bottom lines.

[spanone]

24. Quietly? CHICKENSHITS.

[Biglinda 52]

26. Give me a Break!

I cannot believe there are fund managers "out there" that actually believe that 47 has a "plan". Making decisions based upon idealogy?? Give me a break!

His only idealogy is making money for himself. He manipulated the market to get himself and his cronies rich. That was the only plan. He didn't put on tariffs to help the worker. They've already said that if manufacturing returns, robots will take over.

What gets me are these guys who actually believe that 47 has a plan. We know who 47 is. We know how he functions. Why is Wall Street so blind? And we give these people reign with out money??

[llmart]

111. But he told Kamala he had a "concept of a plan".

Isn't that good enough???

Do I need to say I'm being sarcastic?

[andym]

29. Trump has bad judgment -- that is and should have been the main criticism of him

in past elections. It goes far beyond being "un-serious." Whether it reaches the level of insanity versus having a personality disorder is debatable.
It seems that even the fund managers do not have a consensus on what is obvious from his track record.

[colorado_ufo]

30. Don't fall for the con.

He knows what he is doing; he just lies about everything. He is aligned with Putin, and he is deliberately destroying the country.

It is all about money. An auctioneer friend of mine once told me about his consignors, concerning what price point would make them happy: "There isn't enough money." For these billionaires who seek tax cuts, when they already could not spend their money in a thousand years, this hits home.

Don't believe it? I would love to see some evidence otherwise.

[Omnipresent]

32. He's insane, but wtf has been their problem?

Trumps been acting like this for many years!
They are now just starting to figure him out?!

[Joinfortmill]

33. Brain is shrinking by the day.

[bucolic_frolic]

35. The rules change every 3-10 days. What's the problem?

All business contracts need to be written with null and void clauses in the event Trump alters tariffs that effect the businesses or supplier involved.

End of international trade. That is what he's trying to accomplish, no?

[wordstroken]

36. The excellent psychologists on the Shrinking Trump YouTube channel have been explaining his insanity for a year now.

They go into detail on how his combination of diagnoses causes his weird behaviors; and they also offer therapeutic support to viewers. I haven’t missed an episode (session) since they started last year. Doctors Harry Segal and John Gartner, along with a weekly guest, offer insight, professionalism, and stress-reducing humor. Highly recommend.

[LudwigPastorius]

37. "might be"

Oh, that's good!

[GoreWon2000]

38. The tariff plan is

to make us middle and low income voters pay for the big tax cut for Elon Musk and his billionaire buddies.

[Festivito]

64. Tariff for taxes, then eliminate Income tax. Resulting in rich Richies.

Once income tax is eliminated in favor of tariff funded government, there will be no Roosevelt style way to tax the rich.

[GoreWon2000]

128. It'll take a constitutional amendment

to eliminate the federal income tax. tRump and the repugs might get around that by dropping the federal tax rate to 0 while they further increase tariff rates which will hurt middle and low income Americans. This is a sure fire way to plunge our country and the world into a depression.

[NNadir]

41. Might be? N/t

[Wednesdays]

42. No shit, Sherlock. nt

[Historic NY]

44. He doesn't understand tariffs vs trade deficit

[SSJVegeta]

45. Id be lying if i said i didnt feel some schadendreude for them

Considering most those fuckers probably funded this catastrophe.

[GoCubsGo]

47. Were these idiiots asleep for the past nine years????

This is what he has always been. He's just more deteriorated this time around. It's the same damn shit as his last term, only on steroids. What the hell have they been watching all this time???

[Journeyman]

48. The truth is gaining visibility in the MSM . . .

[bdamomma]

49. not might

be, IS INSANE!!!!!! We have an unstable mental case illegally in the WH. LOCK HIM UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nolabear]

50. No one has the guts to wonder out loud?

Figures.

[calimary]

55. Um... MIGHT BE insane???

MIGHT be insane? Seriously, does one even have to ask?

Is there even any doubt?

[CountAllVotes]

56. truly frightening

This frrreeeeaaaKKK is

[Doodley]

58. I list below, in a detailed report, all the reasons to believe he does have a plan and he is sane.

Start of list.


End of list.

Thank you for reading this report.

[mdbl]

60. The OP headline made me spit out my soup

LOL - they just realized it huh?

[IbogaProject]

63. Super Rich investment advisors show General Discussionhow stupid they themselves are...

Like the last time didn't tell you he was a buffoon? When was that Infrastructure Week? The one thing we could have reasonably hope he could have half-assed to everyone's benefit, even if he grifted all over it. Yes income multiplier was covered in one small section of one class at my top school Economics program but it was very obvious. And these libertarians somehow miss the stories of the WW2 script that showed that increasing cashflow to consumers grow the entire economy. Or notice the economic effects of any previous upper bracket tax cuts. Yes Economic and Business curriculum is full of propaganda but the analysis part still allows for objective observations.

[get the red out]

66. NO, tell me it ain't true!

They've been believing their lying eyes for a LONG time.

[DFW]

67. Gilbert and Sullivan did a song about the Congressional Republicans during the Biden years

It was when McCarthy was still speaker, but it still hold true:

[Hekate]

84. Still right on the mark, and brilliant

[live love laugh]

71. See how money talks?

[sakabatou]

72. Did they JUST come to that realization now?

[dchill]

73. Heh heh.

Heh heh heh.

These stock market types are REALLY slow on the pickup, don't you think?

[chowder66]

74. I doubt he's insane. He's just a rotten asshole who may have some sort of dementia kicking in.

[GoodRaisin]

76. What he is acting on, is greed. nt

[MLAA]

77. As DU knows It was obvious during his first reign of idiocy and madness 🙄

[malaise]

78. Bwaaaaah

That is all

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

80. Another major NSS.

No shit, Sherlock!

If you didn't notice he was at least irrational before now, you're too clueless to hold any position of power or influence yourself!!!

[Mme. Defarge]

81. Ya think?

[Coolgoober]

85. How about drunk on power?!!

That's all I got

[struggle4progress]

86. Quietly wondering don't do shit

[BeyondGeography]

87. 77.3 million votes for insanity

was always the way to look at it. Good to see it has a chance to become official.

[NoSheep]

88. They're just now quietly thinking he might be insane.

[jmowreader]

90. The problem is that they're completely wrong. He has one.

Step 1: Alert the big short-sellers he's friends with that he's about to do something that'll kill the equities markets so they can load up on short positions.

Step 2: Announce massive tariffs, which will depress the markets.

Step 3: Alert the shorts that he's about to suspend the tariffs, giving them time to close out their short positions.

Step 4: Suspend the announced tariffs, which will allow the markets to come back.

The fact that he's also allied with the hard-right press and several street gangs like the Proud Boys is insurance against impeachment for market manipulation. Any legislator who might want to drop articles of impeachment to stop the madness knows Trump will probably try to have him or her killed, so they won't impeach him no matter how bad he gets.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

91. trump is clearly senile

[Skittles]

92. um HELLO

THE GOP HAS BEEN OPERATING ON IDEOLOGY FOR DECADES

[lindysalsagal]

97. Thankyou, Captain Obvious.

[mwb970]

98. "Might be insane"?

Good God, man. Where have you been??

[C Moon]

100. We all know who they voted for.

[iemanja]

101. Gee, they're quick to catch on

This was plain to see before the election.

[Progressive dog]

102. If they just noticed that Trump is insane

I don't think they should be managing anything.

[Meowmee]

116. They didn't care if they knew because they thought he would not hurt the market etc.

Some probably know who made money off the insider trading too.

[kimbutgar]

104. They're just figuring out now we have a mad insane man in the whitehouse

Who only cares about one thing……himself.

Anyone who voted for him ( that includes you Wall Street cretins) owns the pain we are being inflicted upon now!

[Hassler]

106. Have these Financial Managers been

In a coma for the past decade? Cadet Bone Spurs never plans anything. It's always throw shit at the wall and see what sticks.

[patphil]

107. Crazy Donnie doesn't have a clue what he's doing anymore.

I'd pick Sleepy Joe over Crazy Donnie any day.
Joe always did his best for the good of the nation
Crazy Donnie does his best to do his worst to the detriment of the nation.

[Emile]

108. I been telling my financial advisor for years

he's insane.

[et tu]

110. can't help the homeless

or student debt, or let farmers
hanging and more but $$$$$
for hedge funds- sure can't have
the econ collapse on krazy krasnov's watch
he put all his eggs into the tariff basket

[Dem4life1970]

112. Who knew? All of us did.

[Lulu KC]

113. If?

Well, good for him for saying it out loud. Keep talking, finance types.

[tazcat]

114. Heard today that diaper donny's IQ was recorded at 73 in mil school...

[Meowmee]

115. Quietly fear???

We knew that a long time ago, that he is insane etc. wtf is wrong with them...

[kerry-is-my-prez]

117. He does have a legitimate mental illness - Narcissistic Personality Disorder and maybe other PD's along with that.

That is a certified mental illness and is listed in the psych Diagnostic Manual. IMO, a professional cold say that he is really disabled and incapable of doing his job. All you need to do is have a person with the right credentials (a licensed person with a masters or doctorate in the field) to meet with him, have a chat, officially diagnose him with this disorder, and get the VP/Cabinet members to do the 25th amendment. If enough “big shots” become concerned, I could see that being able to be done. If billionaires would put the pressure on the cabinet members, etc. they would do it. I believe he also has some features of a Borderline Personality Disorder - punishment and revenge are central in this disorder. IMO - narcissism does not have revenge features that Trump has. Several experts have said he has Narcissism, including his niece - who is a Psychologist. People often have more than one Personality Disorder. As a psychiatric social worker - the last patient you want to deal with is someone with a personality disorder. I know of counselors and psychiatrists who will not “take them on.” The experts would have easy look access to Trumps social and psychological history and to many many comments and actions of his. Also access to many books written by people who know him VERY well such as Michael Cohen. That is more than the information than most professionals have when doing an initial diagnosis.

[HappyLarge]

120. He might be insane but the people who have his ear are just greedy fucking inside traders.

They let him fuck things up to crash the markets , than carefully manipulate him into pausing so they can rake in the cash.

[MasonDreams]

126. Quietly wondering is grossly inadequate, please act

[Justice matters.]

127. Quietly... a bunch of COWARDS.

The National Anthem is a LIE.