Matthew Lynn

1 week ago | thespectator.com | Ben Clerkin |Raheem Kassam |Paul du Quenoy |Matthew Lynn

He’s survived an assassination, bounced back from bankruptcy and – so far, at least – avoided all attempts to jail him. But Donald Trump’s most audacious feat is yet before him: to persuade Americans to pay more for their goods as their beloved businesses struggle – and then be grateful to him at the polls. While tariffs threaten to raise prices across the board for consumers, small businesses with lower margins than their larger competitors are struggling.

1 week ago | thespectator.com | Matthew Lynn |Charles Lipson |Kate Andrews |Ian Williams

A recession now looks even more certain for the United States. Output has flattened. The chaotic implementation of Donald Trump’s tariff regime has left businesses bewildered. And consumers will soon be facing huge price rises. Of course, the US might well emerge in better shape at the end of it. The trouble is, President Trump has done nothing to prepare the voters for the pain ahead – and he will find a downturn very tough politically.

1 week ago | aol.co.uk | Matthew Lynn

It was all part of a cunning plan, according to Scott Bessent, Donald Trump’s long-suffering treasury secretary. The plunging stock market was “no big deal”, said Kevin Hassett, the White House’s senior trade adviser. Amid the carnage on Wall Street over the last few days, leading figures in Trump’s “tariff team” were dismissing any talk of backing down. And what happened? The president suspended most of the levies for 90 days, and came out and said he was responding to pressure from the markets.

1 week ago | telegraph.co.uk | Matthew Lynn

It got even worse as the markets started to plunge over the start of the week that has just finished. With Wall Street suffering its worst losses since the pandemic, and with more than $5 trillion (£3.8 trillion) wiped off the value of the US's biggest companies, the president was perfectly happy for his key aides to tell anyone who would listen that it was nothing to worry about. It would all work out fine.

1 week ago | moneyweek.com | Matthew Lynn

Some new carpets might have made a difference, or perhaps an updated stock range, some slicker-looking shops, and a fresh advertising campaign. Instead, the new owner of WH Smith, one of the oldest retailers on the British high street, have opted for one of the oldest tricks in the corporate playbook. It is changing the name. WH Smith will now be known as TG Jones. The trouble is that it’s hard to see that making much difference.