Trump's view on the chaos he caused: The market is 'roughly balanced'

President Trump Reflects on a Volatile Week in the Markets

Upon his return to Washington on Thursday evening, President Trump commented on the recent turbulence in the financial markets, suggesting that the outcome was balanced, stating it was "just about even."

Although the week's trading had not yet concluded—with stocks opening lower on Friday—the president expressed satisfaction, claiming the "market reaction has been good" despite a week marked by abrupt tariff announcements and subsequent reversals.

He remarked, "It's pretty much even, right?"

However, the S&P 500 appeared set to finish the shortened trading week in negative territory following significant losses on Tuesday. This would mark the second consecutive week of declines, as the optimism that buoyed stocks midweek seemed to fade.

Trump’s comments, made after returning from the World Economic Forum, highlighted his ongoing focus on the financial consequences of his policy decisions.

He also pointed out that the Dow Jones Industrial Average was approaching 50,000, emphasizing the positive performance seen on Wednesday and Thursday.

These brief remarks, delivered during an extensive exchange with reporters, capped a week in which the president’s actions had an outsized influence on market movements.

During his address in Davos on Wednesday, Trump referenced the previous day's market drop but downplayed its significance. He predicted that the stock market would "double in a relatively short period of time" due to ongoing developments.

Market experts were quick to dismiss the likelihood of such rapid growth. Kenny Polcari, chief market strategist at Slatestone Wealth, described Trump’s prediction as "noise" in an interview.

Polcari remarked, "It's useless. It doesn't really do anything."

Throughout the week, Trump made daily comments about the markets from Monday through Thursday. On Monday and Tuesday, he celebrated previous market highs and once again criticized Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not achieving even greater gains.

At one point on Thursday, Trump went so far as to label the Federal Reserve "discredited."

While the president placed significant emphasis on market performance, some within his administration sought to minimize the role that market fluctuations play in his decision-making process.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Politico that Trump’s decision to withdraw from imposing additional tariffs on eight European countries over the Greenland issue was not prompted by market volatility.

Additional Insights and Policy Announcements

Bessent clarified, "The bond market didn't change the calculus. President Trump always knew where he was going."

Later Thursday evening, Trump voiced his opposition to a proposal from his own administration that would have allowed Americans to use 401(k) retirement funds for home down payments. "I'm not a huge fan," he stated.

He explained his reasoning, saying, "One of the reasons I don't like it is that 401(k)s are doing so well."

Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.