Andrew Yang, entrepreneur and former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, spoke out this week about the mess in global markets, which he blamed on a big jump in U.S. tariffs.
“Well at least we now know it only takes one moron in the wrong position surrounded by yes men to tank the world economy,” Yang posted on X on Wednesday.
Backlash and Pushback
Yang’s comment drew sharp responses. Some X users dismissed his take, arguing tariffs are a strategy, not a mistake.
“Tariffs are a wealth tax on the wealthy and the globalists,” one user wrote. Another chimed in, “The way you would have approached the situation is why Trump is better than you.”
One small business owner joined the thread to voice concerns. “With these new tariffs, 84% from China and 104% from Trump (188%), how am I to stay in business?” he wrote.
A few hours later, Yang shared a simple math example about percentages: “If something goes down 10% and then up 10%, are you back where you started? No, because the decrease is based on a smaller number. For example: 100 – 10 = 90, then 90 + 10% (which is 9) = 99.”
Many people online were confused or just had fun roasting the post. Comments like “Where’d the 9 come from?” and “bro just figured out math lol” filled the replies.
A few users backed him up, pointing out the math checks out—even if the way he explained it didn’t land for everyone. “Unfortunate you feel that you need to teach 2nd grade math on X. Really shows where we are at,” one user wrote.
Another added, “I see a lot of posts calling your math wrong. Presumably, it’s the same Americans who thought the 1/3 pound burger was smaller than the 1/4 pounder.”
Yang on Tariffs, Jobs, and False Promises
Speaking to Chris Cuomo on NewsNation, Yang expanded on why he’s so frustrated by Trump’s tariff plan. “I’m so furious about these tariffs because they’re going to make life worse for the average American family. Prices are going to go up,” he said.
Yang argued the approach won’t bring jobs back like Trump claims.
“Some companies are going to have to lay people off because they’re not able to export as much to various markets. This is all not what Trump campaigned on. Trump campaigned on lower prices, not higher prices.”
He added that many CEOs have told him it would take years to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., and even longer to recoup the investment.
“You’re looking at a six-year time frame for them to make that kind of investment decision. And does anyone have confidence that these tariffs are going to stay at this level for six years? The CEOs don’t.”
Instead of reshoring production, he said, companies are holding off on investing and laying people off.
“You can’t just conjure up factories. It just takes too much time and energy. And companies aren’t going to invest if they don’t have any clarity.”
Praise for a Tariff Delay
Later on Wednesday, Yang responded positively to news that the White House would delay the tariffs for 90 days.
“Thank goodness that reason has prevailed vis a vis this 90 day delay in tariffs to properly negotiate,” he wrote.
That, too, was met with criticism. “You were criticizing every move!” one user replied. Others argued the delay proved the strategy was working.
“Maybe reason was there the whole time… effective negotiation is not possible without the provable threat of action,” someone posted.
Yang also reposted a viral message from political journalist Peter Hamby, which highlighted the mixed messaging coming from Trump’s camp.
While advisers claimed the tariff rollout was all part of a broader plan, Trump himself admitted he paused the move because the markets were reacting negatively.
By reposting it, Yang made it clear he doesn’t buy into the idea that the tariff drama was a well-thought-out move.
Between his assessment of leadership, his attempts to educate on economic basics, and his reaction to policy changes, Yang has stirred up serious debate.
IMAGE CREDIT: “Andrew Yang” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.