Once something is set in motion it's hard to stop it. Anyhow, Trump isn't that smart. He's reactive. He does things that give him immediate gratification, usually by hurting someone.

Besides by October the economy will be so screwed that if he does lift the tariffs, it will be too late to save hundreds of thousands of jobs, homelessness will have increased, and people will be standing in line for government food to feed their families!!!

Let alone manipulating the markets.

Not sure your definition of "tanks", but a one percent, or fraction of one percent, hardly fits. Yeah, it's down from the all time high reached this past February, but down how much? Less than 10 percent which means we're not even in formal correction territory yet.

In any case, he's not manipulating the market. And he apparently really does believe that trade wars are simple, only go in one direction, and that he will win them easily. He's an ignorant fool, but we all know that already.

there's no doubt that his tariffs are doing real damage and promise to hurt the economy and that the market is responding to this.

there's also little doubt the the minute he stops this nonsense the market would regain much of what it lost.

Just doing the bullshit he's doing, isn't market manipulation. And I doubt he gives a flying fuck about the market. All he cares is that he bluster and swagger on the world stage and comes away once again convinced he's the smartest, savviest business man or politician ever.

More to the point, the market has not been undergoing wild gyrations since he became President. It's up about 25% since he took office. It hasn't lost all that much since the high back in February, and as it is, lots of people think even at current levels, the market is overpriced. If that's the case, then eventually there will be a serious and noticeable downturn.

The market is essentially impervious to anything he says, although it will respond to anything that affects the economy.

the economy back - and that is reflected in the market. The trade war stuff affects every business that uses materials from foreign sources or sells to former countries. In our global world - that is most businesses other than local service type businesses.

Not to mention, some losses will continue even as Trump swings back. Will China restore every contract to buy soy beans or will they honor the contracts made with producers in other countries they made to replace the US soy beans? It may make Trump feel powerful, issuing tariffs and seeing the markets move in minutes, but ultimately he is destroying the trust the rest of the world has had in the US having stable policies.

Also, the shifts in the stock market changes have been small relative to the scary crash in 2008. In fact, we are relatively close to the levels the market was in in the last quarter of 2017. There were strong gains in December 2017 and January 2018 -- that completely evaporated by Feb 4, 2018. What that shows is that the gains attributed to excitement over the tax cut faded -- that might be why we have seen both the intentional immoral crisis at the border and the reckless trade war talk.

but he can tank the market for a collective 5% hit, then declare the trade war over in october and the market pops 4%.

sure it loses 1% overall, but the short-term media coverage would be glowing.

. . .of 30% of what it would have been after the inheritance by doing nothing but investing the money broad based is now capable of manipulating the markets?

I don't think so. That entire crowd were so bad at investing that they never went public, although that would have resulted in about 40% more wealth generation over 20 years. They didn't even know how to invest in themselves.

most presidents either are careful *not* to move the markets, or they try to talk it up.

most presidents try to avoid the kind of mistakes that cause the markets to tank.

donnie appears to be seeking out those mistakes....

PINO is just stupid. He thinks what he thinks and everything is just a series of blunders.

about that very thing. It hadn't occurred to me til just then. Remember a few months ago, when it was being said that tRump was now getting comfortable with the presidency? How he was learning the ropes, the shoes were breaking in, he was learning the limits/extents of what he can do? I think that was about how he was learning to "work it" to benefit him.

I think he's working the market in at least two ways:

First, getting his/javanka's/associates' financial ducks in order before he intentionally creates chaos. They can buy/sell, however they will, to take advantage of projected turns before he initiates some hare-brained tweet, comment, policy, etc. that riles the markets. Win/win for them.

Second, as you said, unblock: working it til right before the election, then he can unleash the bull by rescinding some of the selected shit that he's doing in order to pop the markets. Win/win for them and maybe the GOP. True bullshit. Truly evil. That whole group of miscreants truly needs to be cast out. Or rather, cast in, as into prison.

Of course, how do we know, prove or stop that is what they are up to?

Anything for profit.

The organization and whole family is leveraged to their eyeballs.

If you were suggesting they would do it to benefit rich pals, i might buy that.

I hope someone is paying close attention to their trading habits.