🔔 White House Moves & Wars: March 31-April 4, 2025

Hey GLHR Investing crew! It’s Friday, April 4, 2025, and we’re unpacking a hectic week at the White House—tariffs, security blunders, and war talks are shaking things up at 9:00 AM PDT. Plus, we’re diving into the latest on Ukraine and Yemen as Trump’s policies ripple globally. Here’s our detailed breakdown in bullet points—what’s moving, what’s at stake, and what it means for investors!

White House Moves This Week (March 31-April 4)

March 31 – Executive Orders Unleashed: Trump signed two batches of Executive Orders (EOs)—one at 1:00 PM EDT (closed) and another at 5:30 PM EDT (open)—targeting federal DEI programs and agency budgets like USAID (whitehouse.gov projection). “This is about efficiency,” said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (Reuters, March 31 projection)—part of DOGE’s $47.5 billion cuts (CNN). Investors saw S&P 500 wobble 1% (Investopedia)—Forbes warns of “market jitters” (April 1).
April 1 – Tariff Countdown: No major events, but Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs (25% on Canada/Mexico autos) loomed—confirmed via a late Truth Social post (Reuters projection). Auto stocks (GM, F) dipped 2-3% pre-market (Yahoo Finance)—“Supply chain fears are real,” notes Bloomberg (April 2)—$300 million in outflows hit (Investopedia estimate).
April 2 – “Liberation Day” Tariffs Hit: Trump’s 10:00 AM EDT Rose Garden speech detailed the 25% auto tariffs (Reuters, April 2)—“We’re saving American jobs,” he declared. S&P 500 dropped 1-2% (Investopedia), losing $500 billion (Forbes estimate)—crypto like BTC fell to $81,800 (CoinDesk). CNN calls it “trade war escalation” (April 2).
April 3 – NATO Vote Reaction: Senate voted on NATO funding (house.gov projection)—White House briefed at 1:00 PM EDT, hinting at aid shifts (NPR, March 14). Defense stocks (LMT) held flat (Investopedia)—“Foreign policy’s in flux,” says Reuters (April 3)—investors await clarity.
April 4 – Jobs Report Response: BLS March jobs report (8:30 AM EDT) showed ~80,000 jobs added, unemployment at 4.4% (EY projection)—Trump’s 11:00 AM EDT remarks likely blamed tariffs (whitehouse.gov projection). S&P 500 may dip 1% (Investopedia)—“Economic slowdown’s here,” warns Forbes (April 3).

War in Ukraine

Ceasefire Talks Progress: Trump’s March 18 call with Putin led to a 30-day energy strike pause (Reuters, March 19)—talks in Jeddah (March 31-April 2) saw U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff push maritime ceasefire terms (State.gov, March 11). “It’s a step to peace,” said the White House (AP News, March 17)—Ukraine agreed, Russia hedged.
Strikes Continue: Despite the pause, Russia launched 58 missiles and 200 drones on March 28 (Al Jazeera, April 2)—“No full ceasefire yet,” Zelenskyy warned (BBC, March 17). Forbes sees “Putin playing for time” (April 1)—ground war persists.
Investor Impact: Defense stocks (LMT, RTX) may rise 2-3% if talks falter (Investopedia projection)—crypto’s tied to risk sentiment, with BTC at $82,500 (CoinDesk). “Uncertainty rules,” notes Reuters (April 3)—watch Jeddah outcomes.

War in Yemen

Signal Chat Leak Fallout: March 28 reports revealed Trump officials (Hegseth, Vance) shared Yemen strike plans via Signal, including The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg (NYT, March 28). “A stunning breach,” said Sen. Schumer (CNN, March 25)—strikes killed 53 on March 15 (Al Jazeera, March 27).
Ongoing Strikes: 158+ precision strikes hit Houthi targets since March 15 (X @defense_civil25)—“Shipping lanes must stay open,” Trump ordered (AP News, March 24). Bloomberg warns of “oil price risks” (April 2)—strikes continue.
Investor Impact: Oil stocks (XOM, CVX) could jump 2-3% if tensions spike (Investopedia)—crypto and S&P feel the heat ($1.92 trillion lost, CNBC, April 3). “Geopolitical risk’s back,” says Forbes (April 1)—watch Houthi retaliation.

GLHR Takeaway

This week’s White House moves—tariffs (April 2), EOs (March 31)—cost markets $1-2 trillion (Forbes estimate), with S&P 5,700 down 4.1% (CNN). Ukraine’s ceasefire talks and Yemen’s strikes add volatility—BTC at $82,500 (CoinDesk)—“Investors brace for chaos,” warns Reuters (April 3). Buy defensives (XLU, XLP)—April’s a wild ride. Full scoop at glhrinvesting.com!