Ross Gerber, the president and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management and chess champion, Gary Kasparov, have publicly criticized Bill Ackman for his defense of President Donald Trump‘s trade war strategies.
What Happened: On Thursday, Gerber responded to a post on X by Ackman, in which the latter defended Trump’s trade war tactics. Gerber’s tweet read, “Bill please. Enough excuses. You’re a smart man. This is garbage policy.” This was in direct response to Ackman’s suggestion that appearing “crazy” in negotiations could be a strategic move.
The post came amid Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners, a move that has been widely criticized.
Why It Matters: Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, in another post, advised foreign leaders to reach out to President Trump, describing him as a dealmaker who views the world as a series of transactions. His comments were made following the global markets losing $2 trillion in value due to Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.
Gerber and Kasparov’s criticism of Ackman’s defense of Trump’s trade tactics underlines the ongoing debate about the effectiveness and impact of these policies on global trade and the economy. Gerber also commented on Senior Correspondent of Fox Business, Charles Gasparino’s post stating that the goal of the new tariff policy is to negotiate reciprocal agreements to reduce tariffs with trading partners. Gerber stated, “This is a bad way to do business.”
Meanwhile, Kasparov, in the past, has openly criticized Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s style of leadership. He has been consistently supporting Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine war.
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