Joe Rogan and Ben Shapiro backed Trump. Now, they question his tariffs

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump’s tariffs roil international markets, among the thought leaders and influential podcasters who backed the Republican’s marketing campaign are voicing doubts.

Barstool Sports activities proprietor Dave Portnoy, hedge fund supervisor Invoice Ackman and even Elon Musk are including their voices to a lot of congressional Republicans who’ve weighed in towards the tariffs set to take impact on Wednesday.

Right here’s a have a look at a few of what they’ve stated:

Ben Shapiro

The conservative commentator — who initially backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in final yr’s GOP presidential main earlier than lending his help to Trump — stated Saturday on the “All-In” podcast that he noticed “contradictory” claims as to what Trump’s tariff proposals are supposed to do.

“I think that the way that the tariff plan was rolled out is about as bad a rollout as you could do,” Shapiro stated.

In a video posted Monday to his greater than 7 million subscribers on YouTube, Shapiro reiterated that argument and stated that the concept that tariffs are good and make us wealthy is “really problematic.”

“The idea that this is inherently good and makes the American economy strong is wrongheaded,” Shapiro stated. “It’s untrue. The idea that it is going to result in massive re-shoring of manufacturing is also untrue.”

Dave Portnoy

“Welcome to Orange Monday,” Portnoy stated on his “Davey Day Trader” monetary livestream, simply earlier than markets opened this week, saying there’s “no political agenda” to his commentary, aside from to become profitable.

After final week’s market plunge, Portnoy stated he had misplaced $7 million “in stocks and crypto,” a determine he estimated on Monday was possible nearer to $20 million, or as much as 15% of his internet value.

However, Portnoy has stated, he plans to stay with Trump, whom he has known as “a smart guy.”

“I think they’re smarter than me when it comes to these tariffs. I also think he’s playing a high-stakes game here,” Portnoy stated final week on his livestream. “I’m gonna roll with him for a couple days, a couple weeks, see how this pans out.”

Based by Portnoy in 2003 as a free sports activities and playing newspaper, Barstool has grown right into a digital platform masking sports activities, way of life, and leisure, with a whole bunch of thousands and thousands of followers. Portnoy has been a loyal Trump supporter since first endorsing him in 2016, interviewing the president on the White Home in 2020.

Joe Rogan

Rogan, one of many nation’s most influential podcasters who endorsed Trump on the eve of final yr’s election, stated in March that Trump’s feud with Canada was “stupid” and bemoaned the truth that Canadians “booed us over tariffs” throughout skilled sporting occasions that includes groups from each international locations.

Rogan has not too long ago damaged with Trump in different areas, together with over wide-ranging deportations, referring to a latest operation to detain immigrants as “horrific.”

Simply weeks earlier than Election Day, Rogan taped an almost three-hour podcast interview with Trump, a chance for the Republican nominee to focus on the hypermasculine tone that outlined a lot of his 2024 White Home bid.

Invoice Ackman

The professional-Trump hedge fund supervisor warned Sunday on X that “we are heading for a self-induced, economic nuclear winter” except Trump took a extra deliberate strategy, likening the total tariff activation “economic nuclear war.”

In one other publish later Sunday, Ackman assailed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as “indifferent to the stock market and the economy crashing.” The following day, Ackman apologized for his criticism claiming that Lutnick — beforehand the top of the monetary agency Cantor Fitzgerald — may gain advantage from the tariffs due to its bond investments.

However the hedge fund supervisor additionally reiterated his considerations about Trump’s tariffs.

“I 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,” he wrote on X.

Elon Musk

Even the billionaire prime adviser to Trump on overhauling the federal authorities is expressing skepticism about tariffs, which he has stated would drive up prices for Tesla, his electrical automaker.

“I 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,” Musk stated in a video convention with Italian politicians.

On Fox Information’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” White Home commerce adviser Peter Navarro stated that Musk “doesn’t understand” the state of affairs.

Musk fired again on Tuesday, calling Navarro “truly a moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks.”

___

Related Press author Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.

___

Meg Kinnard will be reached at