‘What?!’ Stunned Erin Burnett Full-On Roasts Trump For Tanking Stock Market — Then Hinting at ‘Backing Off’

CNN anchor Erin Burnett brutally roasted President Donald Trump for “tanking markets” with his trade war — then signaling a walk-back “so fast nobody thinks your word means anything at all.”

The stock market experienced steep declines this week as Trump’s tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China took effect — and Trump continued to signal escalation. But Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sent a different signal to Fox Business Channel, teasing some sort of compromise announcement one day into the trade war.

On Tuesday night’s edition of CNN’s OutFront, the host — a longtime financial journalist — was stunned at the turn of events:

ERIN BURNETT: Trump’s trade war tanking markets. Tonight the Dow down almost 700 points. That brings the two day loss for the Dow to 1200 points. Markets now lower than when Trump was sworn in.

And all of this as the president is about to head to the Capitol to speak to his biggest audience since taking office– obviously, the joint session, but also around the world.

Trump expected to talk about a lot of things, including his war against America’s trading partners, Canada and Mexico. Also on that list, the tariffs on China that has caused panic around the world and at home and in those markets.

And at the White House, we’re told they’ve been fielding calls all day long from angry Republicans, many of them from agricultural states, who are worried about Trump’s social media post, that they should, quote, “have fun with the tariffs.”

And then there’s the counter strikes in this war. China tonight, putting a 15% tariff on a number of American farm products. A number of Canadian provinces are now banning U.S. products altogether, including American alcohol. Ontario came out, ripped up $100 million contract with Starlink. Of course, that’s Elon Musk’s Starlink.

And Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not holding back.

PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU: He has said repeatedly that what he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy. Because that’ll make it easier to annex us.

First of all, that’s never going to happen. We will never be the 51st state.

ERIN BURNETT: I mean, the- the– what? I can’t believe we’re living in a world where we’re actually talking about that seriously as he was, because Trump keeps bringing it up.

The backlash has been fast and furious to the tariffs, so much so that suddenly the White House is signaling– all of a sudden. Right?

No way. We’re not going to stop. We’re doing it. We’re doing it.

And then here they are. They come in. And then less than 24 hours later, we hear this on Fox News.

HOWARD LUTNICK: It’s not going to be a pause! None of that pause stuff!

But I think he’s going to figure out you do more and I’ll meet you in the middle some way. And we’re going to probably be announcing that tomorrow.

ERIN BURNETT: What?! I mean is there’s– a– a weird situation to be in, where it is possible that the only thing worse than starting a full on trade war is backing off so fast that nobody thinks your word means anything at all!

Watch above via CNN’s OutFront.