WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 As President Donald Trump’s tariffs roil global markets, some of the thought leaders and influential podcasters who backed the Republican’s campaign are voicing doubts.
Barstool Sports owner , hedge fund manager and even are adding their voices to a number of who have weighed in against the tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday.
Here’s a look at some of what they’ve said:
Ben Shapiro
The conservative commentator 鈥 who initially backed Florida Gov. in last year鈥檚 GOP presidential primary before lending his support to Trump 鈥 said Saturday on the 鈥淎ll-In鈥 podcast that he saw 鈥渃ontradictory鈥 claims as to what Trump鈥檚 tariff proposals are intended to do.
鈥淚 think that the way that the tariff plan was rolled out is about as bad a rollout as you could do,鈥 Shapiro said.
In a video posted Monday to his more than 7 million subscribers on YouTube, Shapiro reiterated that argument and said that the idea that tariffs are good and make us rich is 鈥渞eally problematic.鈥
鈥淭he idea that this is inherently good and makes the American economy strong is wrongheaded,鈥 Shapiro said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 untrue. The idea that it is going to result in massive re-shoring of manufacturing is also untrue.鈥
Dave Portnoy
鈥淲elcome to Orange Monday,鈥 Portnoy said on his 鈥淒avey Day Trader鈥 financial livestream, just before markets opened this week, saying there鈥檚 鈥渘o political agenda鈥 to his commentary, other than to make money.
After last week鈥檚 market plunge, Portnoy said he had lost $7 million 鈥渋n stocks and crypto,鈥 a figure he estimated on Monday was likely closer to $20 million, or up to 15% of his net worth.
But, Portnoy has said, he plans to stick with Trump, whom he has called 鈥渁 smart guy.鈥
鈥淚 think they鈥檙e smarter than me when it comes to these tariffs. I also think he鈥檚 playing a high-stakes game here,鈥 Portnoy said last week on his livestream. 鈥淚鈥檓 gonna roll with him for a couple days, a couple weeks, see how this pans out.鈥
Founded by Portnoy in 2003 as a free sports and gambling newspaper, Barstool has grown into a digital platform covering sports, lifestyle, and entertainment, with hundreds of millions of followers. Portnoy has been a loyal Trump supporter since first endorsing him in 2016, interviewing the president at the White House in 2020.
Joe Rogan
Rogan, one of the nation’s most influential podcasters who endorsed Trump on the eve of last year’s election, said in March that Trump’s feud with Canada was 鈥渟tupid鈥 and bemoaned the fact that Canadians 鈥渂ooed us over tariffs” during professional sporting events featuring teams from both countries.
Rogan has recently broken with Trump in other areas, including over , referring to a recent operation to detain immigrants as 鈥渉orrific.鈥
Just weeks before Election Day, Rogan taped with Trump, an opportunity for the Republican nominee to highlight the hypermasculine tone that defined much of his 2024 White House bid.
Bill Ackman
The pro-Trump hedge fund manager warned Sunday on X that 鈥渨e are heading for a self-induced, economic nuclear winter鈥 unless Trump took a more deliberate approach, likening the full tariff activation 鈥渆conomic nuclear war.鈥
In another post later Sunday, Ackman assailed as 鈥渋ndifferent to the stock market and the economy crashing.鈥 The next day, Ackman apologized for his criticism claiming that Lutnick 鈥 previously the head of the financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald 鈥 could benefit from the tariffs because of its bond investments.
But the hedge fund manager also reiterated his concerns about Trump鈥檚 tariffs.
鈥淚 am just frustrated watching what I believe to be a major policy error occur after our country and the president have been making huge economic progress that is now at risk due to the tariffs,鈥 he wrote on X.
Elon Musk
Even the billionaire top adviser to Trump on overhauling the federal government is expressing skepticism about tariffs, which he has said would drive up costs for Tesla, his electric automaker.
鈥淚 hope it is agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally in my view to a zero-tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America,鈥 Musk said in .
On Fox News鈥 鈥淪unday Morning Futures,鈥 White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said that Musk 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 understand鈥 the situation.
Musk fired back on Tuesday, calling Navarro 鈥渢ruly a moron鈥 and 鈥渄umber than a sack of bricks.鈥
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Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at
