CNBC Daily Open: Shock, but not much awe in Trump’s first 100 days

The term “shock and awe” is used to describe a military strategy where rapid dominance is achieved over an adversary by the initial imposition of overwhelming force and firepower. 

Said adversary is left reeling and unable to respond effectively, while onlookers are surprised and impressed. 

Now, U.S. President Donald Trump has definitely brought a lot of shock in the first 100 days of his presidency, taking an absolute hammer to trade links, alliances, and even his own government, but it can hardly be said to have left anybody impressed. 

The new tariffs have seen the previously sanguine inflation outlook in the U.S. called into question, while a hostile stance to traditional allies such as Canada and the NATO alliance has left multi-decade relationships in tatters. 

Most importantly, there has not been a single trade deal concluded with Trump’s administration — despite him claiming to have done “200 deals” (Fun fact: there are only 195 countries in the world), China is still striking a defiant tone on trade, and the war in Ukraine rages on. The president has also been forced to walk back on his “reciprocal tariffs.” 

In other words, Trump may have wanted his first 100 days to be historic — they might well be, but for all the wrong reasons.  

— Lim Hui Jie

Trump claims to be close to India trade deal 
Trump said Tuesday that tariff negotiations with India are “coming along great,” and he thinks the U.S. will strike a trade deal with the country. “I think we’ll have a deal with India,” Trump said during brief remarks to reporters outside the White House. “The prime minister, as you know, was here three weeks ago, and they want to make a deal.” His comments come after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. was “very close on India.”

Trump signs order easing some auto tariffs
Trump signed an executive order Tuesday softening some of the automotive tariffs his administration put into place earlier this month, as the car industry grapples with regulatory uncertainty and additional costs due to the levies. Tariffs of 25% on imported vehicles into the U.S. will continue, but the new measures aim to reduce the overall tariff level on vehicle imports that had resulted from separate levies — such as an additional 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum — “stacking” on top of one another.

Markets climb on softer tariff stance
U.S. markets rose on Tuesday as the White House said a major trade deal was close to being announced. The blue-chip  Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.75%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.58%, ending at 5,560.83. Both indexes posted a sixth straight positive day, marking the longest win streak since July for the Dow and since November for the S&P 500. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.55%. Over in Europe, The Stoxx 600 index provisionally closed higher by 0.4%, with utilities and healthcare sectors leading the gains.

Amazon scraps idea to display tariff cost after Trump complains to Bezos
Trump personally called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to complain about a report that the online retail giant was considering displaying U.S. tariff costs on its product listings, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News. Within hours of the call, Amazon publicly downplayed the scope of its plan — and then announced that it had been scrapped entirely.

Starbucks stock falls as sales disappoint
Starbucks on Tuesday reported weaker-than-expected earnings and another quarter of same-store sales declines, but the coffee giant said its turnaround strategy is showing early signs of success. Some of those tweaks include scaling back plans to automate more coffee-making and investing more in labor, which weighed on earnings during the quarter.

[PRO] Critical economic reports Wednesday to show how close the U.S. is to recession
A high-stakes batch of economic reports due Wednesday is expected to show the economy already was wobbling, though inflation was easing, before President Donald Trump slapped high tariffs on U.S. trading partners in April.

Oil industry that Trump wants to ‘drill, baby, drill’ has taken a beating since he took office

President Donald Trump wants the oil and gas industry to “drill, baby, drill” in pursuit of his energy dominance agenda, but the companies involved in the actual drilling and servicing of wells have instead taken a beating during his first 100 days in office.

U.S. crude oil prices have fallen below $65 per barrel, down more than 20% since Trump’s second term began, making it unprofitable for many companies to boost production, according to a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Executives on the frontline of the U.S. shale oil boom were scathing in their criticism of Trump’s policies in anonymous responses to that same survey.

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