President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to fixing America’s broken trade relationship with China on Sunday, making it clear that short-term stock market volatility will not distract him from putting American workers and industries first.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump dismissed the idea that the current market downturn is part of any orchestrated strategy, while reminding Americans that strong medicine is sometimes necessary to restore economic health.
“I don’t want anything to go down, but sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” Trump said when asked about the dip in U.S. markets.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell Sunday evening, continuing the downward momentum from last week. But Trump made it clear that his focus remains on ending America’s massive trade imbalance with China, not appeasing short-term market jitters.
“We have to solve our trade deficit with China,” he stated firmly. “We have a trillion-dollar trade deficit with China, hundreds of billions of dollars a year we lose. And unless we solve that problem, I’m not going to make a deal.”
While Trump expressed openness to negotiation, he emphasized that Beijing must come to the table with serious intent to end their unfair advantage. “I’m willing to deal with China,” he said. “But they have to solve their surplus.”
Over the weekend, the president spoke with European and Asian leaders about the new tariffs his administration is rolling out—part of a broader push for fair, reciprocal trade deals that put America first.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick echoed Trump’s resolve on Sunday, stating that the administration would not back down from its tariff plans, even in the face of market volatility. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett also reassured Americans that the market movement is not part of any deliberate effort, but rather a natural response to decisive policy shifts.
The president’s comments follow his Truth Social post sharing a viral video that speculated Trump was triggering the sell-off as part of a larger plan to reset the global trade order. While the idea has stirred conversation, the facts point to a president focused not on short-term headlines—but long-term strength and sovereignty for the American economy.