Timing Is Everything: How Today’s Tariffs Set the Stage for Tonight’s Speech

Score another win for MAGA....  If you’re watching the markets today, you’ve already seen the reaction: volatility, uncertainty, and a fresh round of hand-wringing over the latest announced tariffs. Hours before President Trump’s State of the Union address, the administration dropped new tariffs into the mix, rattling investors and sending yet another signal that we’re nowhere near finished with the “America First” economic experiment.  What I find suspect isn’t the tariffs, after all he campaigned on this. It’s the timing.  Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick teased that as early as tomorrow, Trump could announce a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada—a conveniently timed “win” that, if you’re keeping score, arrives less than 24 hours after tonight’s prime-time address.

Call it what you want: political theatre, market manipulation, or just another Tuesday. But make no mistake, this is all part of his performance.

Tonight, expect Trump to point to these developments as proof positive that his aggressive trade strategies are working. New tariffs? Tough leadership. Trade deal on the horizon? Negotiating genius. It’s a carefully constructed narrative designed to dominate the news cycle, rally his base, and distract from the chaos simmering just beneath the surface.

Markets, of course, aren’t as easily swayed by speeches. Investors want stability, predictability, and some sense that policy isn’t being made on the fly to serve the moment’s political needs. So while the talking points tonight will be heavy on victories and light on details, don’t be surprised if the market keeps flinching.

Because in the end, the speech will pass, the headlines will fade, and we’re all still left trying to navigate the reality behind the rhetoric.