Billionaire founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management Bill Ackman on Saturday shared his opinions and predictions regarding President Donald Trump and his decision to levy sweeping tariffs on countries across the globe.
Ackman wrote on X: “One would have to imagine that President @realDonaldTrump’s phone has been ringing off the hook. The practical reality is that there is insufficient time for him to make deals before the tariffs are scheduled to take effect.
“I would therefore not be surprised to wake up Monday with an announcement from the President that he was postponing the implementation of the tariffs to give him time to make deals.”
Ackman added: “The problem, however, can’t be resolved in days, so why wouldn’t a pause make sense to give the president time to properly resolve this critical issue and to allow companies large and small the time to prepare for changes in their supply chains?
“The risk of not doing so is that the massive increase in uncertainty drives the economy into a recession, potentially a severe one. One thing is for sure. Monday will be one of the more interesting days in our country’s economic history.”
One would have to imagine that President @realDonaldTrump’s phone has been ringing off the hook. The practical reality is that there is insufficient time for him to make deals before the tariffs are scheduled to take effect.
I would therefore not be surprised to wake up Monday…
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) April 5, 2025
Ackman’s post is receiving backlash on X from many MAGA supporters who evidently believe that Trump’s economic instincts are infallible.
One replied: “No Bill… Make them feel the pain… If the talking points of ‘Tariffs are a tax on the American people’ were true, and that corporations were able to pass those costs to the consumer, then the Market wouldn’t be deflating, and crude and energy wouldn’t be retreating 5% daily.”
Another chimed in: “understand your point and agree with it. However I think Trump is going to make deals after the tariffs to get the best deal possible (I feel that is how Trump views it). It’s not like tariffs were just now talked about, Trump has been talking about them for years. So should be no surprise to the world he did this.”
And “The Long Investor” wrote: “Postponing will be admitting defeat to him. He’ll look weak in his eyes. Even though it is the correct action. He got this wrong. Too many fronts, too much, too soon.”
[NOTE: The latter view echoes that of billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, who said “strong leadership means...realizing your mistake and correcting it. Quickly.”]
Another wrote: “Interesting take but antithetical to who he is and what he is trying to accomplish. He is applying deal-making in the markets the way he would in an RE deal- maximum pressure to direct dealmaking in his direction, and that is only going to show weakness/ be doomed to fail if he pivots. He must either stay the course and back-channel or double-down and demonstrate he is willing to go further than any other leader.”
Financier Shashankh Aryal replied: “Bill, postponing publicly would impair his credibility and negotiating leverage on the tariffs. Agreed he should give companies time to revamp supply chains, but this should be handled quietly in the details, not announced as a headline, right?”
Trump has been talking about these tariffs since the 1980’s. He’s now 78 years old.
He isn’t going to reverse it or walk it back just a week after announcing it.
Lutnick and Bessent have already doubled down on the rhetoric.
Everyone needs to accept it and act accordingly.
— Object Zero (@Object_Zero_) April 5, 2025
“Object Zero” replied: “Trump has been talking about these tariffs since the 1980’s. He’s now 78 years old. He isn’t going to reverse it or walk it back just a week after announcing it. Lutnick and Bessent have already doubled down on the rhetoric. Everyone needs to accept it and act accordingly.”