{"id":60852,"date":"2026-04-13T14:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T18:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/holy-war-and-high-tariffs-trumps-latest-strategy-to-keep-markets-interesting\/60852\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T14:00:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T18:00:23","slug":"holy-war-and-high-tariffs-trumps-latest-strategy-to-keep-markets-interesting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/holy-war-and-high-tariffs-trumps-latest-strategy-to-keep-markets-interesting\/60852\/","title":{"rendered":"Holy War and High Tariffs: Trump\u2019s Latest Strategy to Keep Markets “Interesting”"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is Monday, April 13, 2026, and if you were hoping for a quiet morning of coffee and incremental index gains, you clearly haven\u2019t been paying attention to the Truth Social<\/b> feed. While most of the world was busy sleeping or contemplating the existential dread of another work week, President Trump<\/a> was busy redesigning global trade routes, threatening the Holy See, and posting AI-generated imagery that would make a Renaissance painter weep. The result? A market that is currently doing its best impression of a confused Golden Retriever in a thunderstorm.<\/p>\n

The $100 Barrel: A Naval Blockade for Your Morning Commute<\/h2>\n

The headline act of the weekend was the sudden collapse of peace talks in Islamabad, followed immediately by the President\u2019s announcement of a “complete blockade” of the Strait of Hormuz. Because nothing says “stable global economy” like parking the U.S. Navy in the world\u2019s most sensitive oil chokepoint, crude prices have reacted with their customary lack of chill. WTI Crude<\/b> futures surged 8.2% in early trading, officially reclaiming the $100 per barrel mantle. Analysts at Bloomberg<\/i> noted that ships carrying Iranian oil are currently “anchoring off India,” essentially waiting to see if the U.S. Navy is actually going to start a game of high-stakes bumper boats.<\/p>\n

Naturally, the energy sector is the only place where anyone is smiling. XOM<\/a> (+4.1%) and CVX<\/a> (+3.8%) are enjoying the windfall of geopolitical instability, while the rest of the market contemplates the inflationary nightmare of $5.00-a-gallon gas. The DOW<\/b> futures fell 2.3% in pre-market trading<\/a>, as investors realized that “energy independence” is a great campaign slogan but a difficult reality when the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed for business. Meanwhile, DAL<\/a> (-5.4%) and other airlines are watching their fuel hedges burn in real-time.<\/p>\n

The 50% Solution: Tariffs as a Foreign Policy Tool<\/h2>\n

Not content with merely disrupting the global oil supply, the administration decided to double down on its favorite hobby: tariffs<\/b>. Trump<\/a> has threatened a “staggering” 50% tariff on China<\/b> if they are caught supplying military aid to Iran. It\u2019s a bold strategy\u2014using a trade war to prevent a shooting war\u2014and the tech sector is reacting with the enthusiasm of someone being told they need a root canal. AAPL<\/a> (-2.7%) and NVDA<\/a> (-3.1%) are leading the retreat, as the prospect of a 50% markup on components makes the “Greatest Market in History” look a bit more like a clearance rack at a closing Kmart.<\/p>\n

The irony, of course, is that these threats come just as China<\/b> was being credited with bringing Iran to the table in the first place. But in the world of Trumpian<\/i> economics, consistency is for losers. The S&P 500<\/a><\/b> dipped 1.8% at the open, as traders tried to calculate the math on a 50% tariff. Spoiler alert: the math doesn’t look great for your 401(k). Retailers like WMT<\/a> (-1.2%) are also feeling the squeeze, as the “Made in America” transition continues to be slightly more expensive than a Truth Social<\/i> post would suggest.<\/p>\n

The Holy War: Pope Leo vs. The AI Savior<\/h2>\n

In perhaps the most “2026” development imaginable, the President has also found time to pick a fight with the Vatican. After Pope Leo XIV<\/b> dared to suggest that a naval blockade might be a tad aggressive, Trump took to Truth Social<\/i> to declare the Pontiff “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.” He followed this up by posting an AI-generated image of himself as a Christ-like figure healing the sick, which is certainly one way to spend a Sunday afternoon. <\/p>\n

While the theological implications are best left to the theologians, the market implications for DJT<\/a> (+12.4%) are clear: the more chaotic the feed, the higher the stock goes. Retail investors seem to be pricing in the “Blasphemy Premium,” as the stock saw a volume spike of 400% over its 30-day average. It seems that in the current environment, being “terrible for foreign policy” is a bullish indicator for social media platforms, even if it\u2019s a bearish one for the NASDAQ<\/b>, which is currently down 2.1%.<\/p>\n

Market Data: The Numbers Don’t Lie, Even if the Posts Do<\/h2>\n

To put some hard numbers on this morning\u2019s “observational snark,” here is where we stand as of 10:30 AM EST:<\/p>\n