Is 'Trump purposely crashing the market'? 'Wild chess move' theory sparks internet frenzy

Is Trump actually playing a strategic ‘chess’ game—and are we all just pawns?

On April 2, Trump unveiled sweeping new tariffs on foreign imports, calling the day “Liberation Day” for American industry. The move includes a 25% tariff on all foreign-made cars and a baseline 10% tariff on imports from every country not part of the USMCA trade deal—leaving the EU, UK, and others scrambling to respond. China, of course, fired back with a 34% tariff on U.S. goods.

But as the political fallout begins to swirl, a viral social media theory is giving the chaos a dramatic twist.

Economic Conspiracy Theory: “He’s Crashing the Market On Purpose”

A TikTok video that’s now doing the rounds on X (formerly Twitter) has users buzzing with speculation. Its bold claim? Trump is deliberately crashing the stock market. Why? To force cash into U.S. treasuries, create downward pressure on interest rates, and allow the Fed to refinance America’s mountainous debt more cheaply.

In short, it's not a blunder—it's a maneuver.

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“He’s forcing companies to manufacture in America to avoid tariffs,” the video claims. “He’s redirecting farmers to sell locally to bring grocery prices down. And he’s nudging the Fed into slashing rates.” The narrator even calls it “a wild but working chess move.”

Some of the video’s claims are exaggerated or flat-out wrong—like a quote falsely attributed to Warren Buffett praising Trump’s