Bill Ackman Predicts Trump May Delay Tariffs to Avert Economic Fallout

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is weighing the possibility that U.S. President Donald Trump might hold off on implementing his proposed tariffs, despite their scheduled start on April 7.

Ackman, known for his crypto-friendly stance, shared his thoughts online, speculating that the President could be feeling mounting pressure from various stakeholders urging him to delay.

He noted that with such limited time to strike trade deals before the tariffs take effect, it wouldn’t be surprising if Trump opted to postpone the rollout. Ackman pointed out that the President’s phone has likely been constantly buzzing with calls from concerned parties, making it plausible for Trump to announce a delay to buy more time for negotiations.

Just a few days prior, Trump had signed an executive order setting a baseline tariff of 10% on all imports, effective April 5. Additional, more targeted tariffs aimed at countries with significant trade imbalances with the U.S. are expected to follow on April 9. Ackman believes that pausing the process would be a smart move, allowing more time for agreements to be reached while also giving businesses a chance to prepare. He warned that a hasty implementation could risk pushing the economy into a recession, which could be severe.

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Ackman, who became an outspoken crypto advocate after the collapse of FTX in 2022, has voiced support for Trump’s tariffs, describing them as a necessary step to address longstanding issues that have harmed American workers. In his view, Trump’s aggressive stance has forced other countries to take notice and rethink their trade policies.

Interestingly, the financial markets have reacted strongly to the tariff announcement. On April 4, the U.S. stock market faced significant losses, with the value wiped out exceeding the entire crypto market’s worth. Meanwhile, digital assets showed relative stability compared to traditional stocks, catching the attention of both supporters and critics of cryptocurrencies.

Notably, key crypto figures like Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, and Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder of Gemini, have publicly backed Trump’s tariff approach. Ackman remarked that April 7 could be a crucial date, hinting that the President’s decision on whether to move forward with or delay the tariffs might shape the economic landscape in the coming months.

Alexander Stefanov