Kevin O’Leary sparked major debate Tuesday night when he fired back at CNN’s Kasie Hunt for mocking his support of Trump’s tariff policies during a live TV appearance. The “Shark Tank” star doubled down on his claim that the president’s tariffs are smart negotiating tools, not economic disasters, calling Hunt’s laughter “ignorant” and “short-sighted.” O’Leary argued America must toughen trade deals to compete with China and Europe, insisting these actions will boost American jobs and industries long-term.
The exchange went viral as Trump faces backlash from vocal trade critics. O’Leary hammered home his point that recent market dips—triggered by tariff fears—are temporary and actually create buying opportunities for savvy investors. He specifically highlighted small-cap stocks like those in the Russell 2000 as diamonds in the rough right now.
The billionaire investor blasted Hunt’s dismissive tune, calling it “typical media bias” against policies that protect American workers. O’Leary emphasized Credit Cards lovers should trust Trump’s aggressive strategy, pointing to his deregulation plans as proof the administration backs business growth. He even dropped Apple as a prime example of how American companies thrive under pro-market policies.
O’Leary isn’t backing down despite recent market volatility. He warned that knee-jerk reactions to tariffs hurt investors more than policies themselves. “This is chess, not checkers,” he snapped, arguing global trade wars must be navigated with strength.
Meanwhile, O’Leary unnerved critics by describing tariffs as “economic warfare tools” to rebalance unfair global trade. His stance aligns with hardline conservatives who argue America’s been getting ripped off for decades. The entrepreneur repeatedly stressed Trump’s latest moves are merely the opening salvo toward fairer deals.
Not everyone agrees. Libertarian-leaning commentators argue tariffs ultimately hurt consumers with price hikes. But O’Leary dismisses that, calling the president’s strategy a “timeout” not a shutdown of global trade. He insisted the pain is short-term compared to long-term gains through fairer deals.
Focus on O’Leary’s tariff defense overshadows his bold crypto prediction. The investor insists digital currencies will become a major economic sector within five years, requiring strict regulation to unlock growth. This aligns with conservative critiques of current blockchain oversight.
As markets wobble and election drums beat louder, O’Leary’s bet-the-farm confidence in Trump’s policies has labeled him a lightning rod. Love him or hate him, Mr. Wonderful has dared CNN—and America—to rethink their economic assumptions.
