How Donald Trump’s Tweets Shook the Market

In early April 2025, something unusual happened in the world of finance that even people outside Wall Street noticed.

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, urging people to “buy DJT.” That’s the ticker symbol (stock name) of Trump Media, the company behind his platform.

Just a few hours later, Trump made a big announcement: the U.S. would pause tariffs on imported goods for 90 days. That made certain investors—who might’ve acted on the hint—very rich, very fast.

But shortly after, Trump reversed course and imposed a massive 145% tariff on Chinese goods, and that caused chaos in the financial markets.

📉 How Much Did the Stock Market Fall?

When the 145% tariffs were announced, investors panicked.

Here’s what happened in dollar terms on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE):

S&P 500: Fell 4.5%, wiping out $1.8 trillion in value.
Nasdaq: Dropped 5.25%, around $1.2 trillion loss.
Dow Jones: Declined 3.67%, erasing about $1.1 trillion.

That’s nearly $4 trillion gone in just 24 hours.

🪙 What Happened to Gold Prices?

When investors are scared, they often buy gold. It’s seen as a “safe” place to keep money.

Before the Trump post: Gold was trading around $2,285 per ounce.
After the chaos: It spiked past $3,000, hitting a record $3,005 per ounce.

That’s a $720 jump in just a few days — a huge move in the gold world.

💵 What About the U.S. Dollar?

The U.S. dollar (measured by the “Dollar Index”) initially got stronger as people rushed into it. But once the news flipped, so did the dollar:

Dollar Index rose from 104.10 to 104.64 (a 0.52% jump).
Then, after Trump delayed tariffs on Mexico, it dropped back near 104.20.

🧾 Calls for Investigation

Senator Adam Schiff has called for a congressional investigation into whether former President Donald Trump engaged in insider trading or market manipulation following the unexpected pause in tariffs, which led to a significant stock market surge. The concern centers around the timing of Trump's social media post urging investors to buy stocks and referencing "DJT"—his initials and stock ticker.

Market Manipulation Concerns

In April 2025, President Trump announced a 90-day pause on certain tariffs, leading to a significant rebound in the stock market. Shortly before this announcement, he posted on Truth Social encouraging followers to buy stock with the ticker "DJT," which coincides with his initials and his company's stock symbol. This sequence of events raised suspicions of potential market manipulation, prompting House Democrats to urge the SEC to investigate.

🧵 Chronology of Key Events

October 2021: DWAC and TMTG announce merger plans; insider trading activities occur prior to the public announcement.
June 2023: Garelick and the Shvartsman brothers are charged with insider trading.
April 2024: The Shvartsman brothers plead guilty.
May 2024: Garelick is found guilty of insider trading.
March 2025: Trump Media completes its merger with DWAC and begins trading under the ticker DJT.
April 2025: President Trump announces a 90-day tariff pause; prior to the announcement, he posts on Truth Social encouraging the purchase of DJT stock.