Ross Gerber, President and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, and renowned chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov both publicly rebuked hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman for his defence of former US President Donald Trump’s trade war tactics.
The criticism followed Ackman’s post on X (formerly Twitter), in which he suggested that Trump’s strategy of appearing “crazy” during negotiations was a calculated move. “Sometimes the best negotiating strategy is to make your counterparty believe you are crazy. It can be very effective in motivating a settlement,” Ackman wrote, referring to Trump’s trade policy decisions.
In response, Gerber dismissed Ackman’s reasoning outright, stating, “Bill please. Enough excuses. You're a smart man. This is garbage policy.” His remarks came amid mounting concern over the economic fallout of Trump’s newly announced tariff plans, which targeted nearly all of the United States’ trading partners.
Echoing Gerber’s sentiment, Garry Kasparov, a long-standing critic of authoritarian regimes and an outspoken opponent of both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, replied to Ackman’s post with a sharp rebuke. “That only works if you’re not actually crazy, I’m afraid,” he wrote, seemingly alluding to Trump’s erratic leadership style.
Ackman, the CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, had also advised foreign leaders to engage directly with Trump, characterising the former president as a dealmaker who viewed global affairs as a series of business transactions. His comments came in the wake of global markets shedding $2 trillion in value following the announcement of Trump’s reciprocal tariff policy.
As debate over the approach intensified, Fox Business Senior Correspondent Charles Gasparino defended the administration’s move, suggesting that the goal was to force reciprocal agreements with US trading partners by imposing tariffs. Responding to Gasparino’s assessment, Gerber criticised the strategy, saying, “This is a bad way to do business.”
Kasparov, meanwhile, has consistently voiced concern over the consequences of authoritarian-style leadership. A vocal supporter of Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia, he has repeatedly criticised both Trump and Putin for undermining democratic values and international cooperation.
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