For those who don’t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week’s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
After President Donald Trump’s Tuesday address before a joint session of Congress and the Democrats’ disruptive and childish behavior both during and after that address, the focus on Sunday was clear: get past the ridiculous antics of the past week and pivot to something — anything — that could potentially be pinned on Trump.
For the most part, Democrats and media zeroed in on the looming threat of new tariffs — which have once again been temporarily delayed — and the ensuing fluctuations that rock the markets while uncertainty rules the day.
ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl kicked off Sunday’s broadcast of “This Week” by framing the tariffs around that uncertainty and tying the market volatility directly to President Trump’s policies.
“But on the issue that put Trump in the White House, Trump’s unrestrained and erratic moves on tariffs this week sent the stock market tumbling and triggered anxiety throughout an economy that he has promised to make better for working-class Americans,” he said.
“It was whiplash week at the White House as President Trump unleashed his favorite economic weapon,” Karl continued, laying out a scenario designed to make viewers believe the chaos inflicted on the stock market had been intentional.
“Trump’s unrestrained and erratic moves on tariffs this week sent the stock market tumbling and triggered anxiety throughout an economy that he has promised to make better for working-class Americans.” @JonKarl breaks down the latest on Trump’s tariffs: https://t.co/pMdDl4Ajjv pic.twitter.com/utESVKyFri
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 9, 2025
Karl then brought in ABC Business and Tech correspondent Rebecca Jarvis to back his play, and she laid out a similar argument: “When you look at what’s happening inside of a single day on Wall Street, the gigantic volatility is the kind that we haven’t seen since Russia initially invaded Ukraine, since the pandemic … It’s a very headline-sensitive market.”
“When you look at what’s happening inside of a single day on Wall Street, the gigantic volatility is the kind that we haven’t seen since Russia initially invaded Ukraine, since the pandemic…It’s a very headline-sensitive market.”@RebeccaJarvis reports: https://t.co/uYAPXqKS4r pic.twitter.com/b7F7Byo6Kk
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 9, 2025
Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) brushed off the Democrats’ behavior — from the shouting and cane-waving that got Rep. Al Green (D-TX) escorted from the chamber at Trump’s address to Democrats singing “We Shall Overcome” when the Republican-led House moved to censure Green — saying only that his party had clearly lacked “a coordinated response” to the president.
“They’re destroying the economy … That’s where we need to keep the focus,” Schiff insisted.
Democrats lacked “a coordinated response” to Pres. Trump’s joint address to Congress and it was a “mistake,” Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff tells @JonKarl.
“They’re destroying the economy … That’s where we need to keep the focus.” https://t.co/ifuJozyIXN pic.twitter.com/pPvmlExKPV
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 9, 2025
Schiff went on to argue that the tariffs would cause lasting damage, adding, “I talked to citrus farmers…who still haven’t recovered the market share they lost during the first Trump administration with these tariff wars. I think these broad, indiscriminate and on again, off again tariffs don’t help anyone.”
“I talked to citrus farmers…who still haven’t recovered the market share they lost during the first Trump administration with these tariff wars,” Sen. Schiff says.
“I think these broad, indiscriminate and on again, off again tariffs don’t help anyone.” https://t.co/XySyOEkoKV pic.twitter.com/0jjwPMNmWQ— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 9, 2025
Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett painted a different picture, however, arguing that the tariffs were simply a tool employed to force the hands of both Canada and Mexico to stop the flow of fentanyl across their respective borders and into the United States.
“We launched a drug war, not a trade war — and it was part of a negotiation to get Canada and Mexico to stop shipping fentanyl across our borders,” he explained.
“We launched a drug war, not a trade war — and it was part of a negotiation to get Canada and Mexico to stop shipping fentanyl across our borders,” Pres. Trump’s economic adviser Kevin Hassett says of the administration’s tariffs. https://t.co/vbFR5Md1S9 pic.twitter.com/C2qC94yDx2
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 9, 2025
On CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” host Margaret Brennan brought in Canadian Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman to push back on the Trump administrations’ claims that the goal is to slow the flow of drugs — particularly fentanyl.
Hillman said that Canada certainly took the threat of fentanyl seriously, but noted that approximately 1% of the fentanyl coming into the United States came across the northern border.
“Every ounce can kill families and people, so we’re taking it very seriously,” she said.
“We take this very seriously,” Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman says about fentanyl at the U.S.-Canada border, which the Trump administration has cited as a top reason for President Trump’s tariffs.
She says less than 1% of fentanyl seized in the U.S. comes from… pic.twitter.com/1FXLsfslha
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 9, 2025
“Canadians feel under attack — under economic attack, and that is causing some challenges for sure across Canadian society,” Hillman said, adding that she believed that once Justin Trudeau left office, the nation’s new prime minister “will prioritize trying to have a good and healthy and productive relationship” with the United States.
“Canadians are frustrated with our neighbors,” says Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman, responding to President Trump’s tariffs and his talk of annexing Canada.
“Canadians feel under attack — under economic attack, and that is causing some challenges for sure across… pic.twitter.com/pOdj2YhjRm
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 9, 2025
On NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” anchor Kristen Welker brought in pollster Steven Kornacki to highlight the tariff-induced volatility in the markets.
Steve Kornacki: How the economy is responding to Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs https://t.co/sGotd0mUoH
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 9, 2025
Welker also brought in Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who conceded that the prices of foreign-made goods were likely to rise once tariffs were implemented.
Commerce Sec. Lutnick says foreign goods may get ‘more expensive’ with tariffs: Full interview https://t.co/0yAU0wRkfa
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 9, 2025
Despite that, Lutnick said that the American people should “absolutely not” be bracing for another recession.
Americans should ‘absolutely not’ brace for recession despite bank warnings: Commerce secretary https://t.co/KWEKyVp8ZK
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 9, 2025
On CNN’s “State of the Union,” anchor Jake Tapper pressed Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) on the impact of — and the strategy behind — the tariffs, and Scott defended the Trump administration’s actions.
“There’s a coherent strategy. Stop taking advantage of American workers. Stop sending fentanyl across our border … I think Donald Trump is doing what he should,” Scott began, going on to say that the tariffs could also push consumers toward products that were made in the United States. “We have got to make this a fair system for the American worker.”
GOP @SenRickScott defends Trump’s tariff whiplash: “There’s a coherent strategy. Stop taking advantage of American workers. Stop sending fentanyl across our border… I think Donald Trump is doing what he should. We have got to make this a fair system for the American worker.” pic.twitter.com/5EQODGpkfR
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) March 9, 2025
Over on MSNBC, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki brought in Chrystia Freeland, liberal candidate for Prime Minister of Canada, to discuss the tariffs as well. Freeland boasted that, if elected, her plan was to introduce retaliatory tariffs that specifically targeted Tesla CEO and DOGE spearhead Elon Musk.
“As prime minister, I will fight back with dollar for dollar retaliatory tariffs, and our retaliation is going to be surgically targeted … An example measure I will put in place is 100% tariffs on Teslas. I think that should get some attention in the White House,” she said.
.@cafreeland: “As prime minister, I will fight back with dollar for dollar retaliatory tariffs, and our retaliation is going to be surgically targeted… An example measure I will put in place is 100% tariffs on Teslas. I think that should get some attention in the White House.”… pic.twitter.com/XTlgtyy0kG
— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) March 4, 2025
Freeland is currently running behind in the Liberal Party’s race to replace resigning Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, polling at 31% compared to the 43% who support former central banker Mark Carney.