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Podcasting titan Joe Rogan and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy are among the high-profile supporters of President Trump who are now trashing his sweeping tariffs — as the fallout from the White House’s new levies sends their stock portfolios down “the s—-er.”
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro and even Elon Musk piled on ahead of the reciprocal tariffs taking effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
Here’s a look at what Trump’s backers have been saying as the duties roil global markets and escalate a trade war:
Dave Portnoy
The Barstool honcho revealed he lost a staggering $7 million in stocks and crypto in the initial market plunge following Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” announcement.
Days later, Portnoy estimated the toll to be likely closer to $20 million — up to 15% of his net worth.
“Welcome to Orange Monday,” Portnoy, 48, said on his “Davey Day Trader” financial livestream as the markets opened on April 7.
“It’s tariff city. Trump has put his tariffs all over the place. I’ve been trying to understand them — I don’t,” he continued.
“Like it’s more a trade deficit tariff. To me, like, ‘Hey, we get this much s— from you, and you get this much from us. Let’s even that up. Let’s get some wacky formula, do tariffs. And everything’s in the s—-er because of it.”
Even so, Portnoy said he still plans to stick with the Republican.
“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 said on his livestream. “I’m gonna roll with him for a couple days, a couple weeks, see how this pans out.”
Joe Rogan
The comedian, UFC commentator and host of the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast was among the first to rip the tariffs, declaring in March that the commander in chief’s ongoing feud with Canada was “stupid.”
Rogan, 57, also bemoaned the fact that Canadians had “booed us over tariffs” during professional sporting events in which teams from both counties faced off against each other.
“I just want America and Canada to get along. I think it’s ridiculous,” he railed during his March 14 episode.
“We have to become friends with Canada again. This is so ridiculous,” the world’s most popular podcaster added. “This is the dumbest f—ing feud.”
Bill Ackman
The pro-Trump hedge fund manager issued a scathing warning Sunday night, saying the world is on the brink of “self-induced economic nuclear winter” due to the sweeping tariffs.
“The President has an opportunity on Monday to call a time out and have the time to execute on fixing an unfair tariff system. Alternatively, we are heading for a self-induced, economic nuclear winter, and we should start hunkering down,” Ackman wrote in a lengthy X post.
“May cooler heads prevail.”
Ackman, who endorsed Trump’s run for president, also insisted the president’s decision to enforce a baseline 10% tax on all imports was causing business leaders worldwide to lose confidence in Washington.
The 58-year-old later backtracked and claimed some had “misinterpreted” his call for a 90-day pause on the tariffs as a criticism of the administration.
The Pershing Square Capital Management boss insisted in a follow-up X post that he is “totally supportive” of Trump’s move.
“I am advocating for a 30, 60, or 90- day pause before the tariffs are implemented tomorrow to enable negotiations to be completed without a major global economic disruption that will harm the most vulnerable companies and citizens of our country,” Ackman said.
Ben Shapiro
The conservative commentator, usually an unwavering fan of the commander-in-chief, said Monday that the idea that tariffs are good and will make the US rich is “really problematic.”
“The idea that this is inherently good and makes the American economy strong is wrongheaded,” Shapiro said in a clip posted to his more than 7 million subscribers on YouTube.
“It’s untrue. The idea that it is going to result in massive reshoring of manufacturing is also untrue.”
It echoed earlier remarks where Shapiro said he could see “contradictory” claims regarding the intention behind Trump’s tariff proposals.
“I think that the way that the tariff plan was rolled out is about as bad a rollout as you could do,” Shapiro said on the “All-In” podcast.
Elon Musk
Even Musk — Trump’s billionaire ally and adviser — has pushed back and expressed skepticism over the tariffs, arguing the levies would drive up costs for his electric car company, Tesla.
“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,” the billionaire told members of Italy’s right-wing League party in a video address this past weekend.
When White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested Musk “doesn’t understand” the situation during a media interview, the SpaceX founder fired back on social media Tuesday — calling Navarro “truly a moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks.”
With Post wires
