Well, folks, Donald Trump’s at it again, and this time he’s invented a word so bizarre it’s almost as chaotic as the markets he’s tanking. On April 7, 2025, as Wall Street spiraled into its third day of tariff-induced panic, the former-and-current president took to Truth Social to drop a linguistic bombshell: “Don’t be a PANICAN (A new party based on Weak and Stupid people!).” Yes, you read that right—PANICAN, all caps, because subtlety’s never been his thing. With global stocks plummeting and his beloved tariffs lighting the fuse, Trump’s latest outburst is either a stroke of genius or a cry for help. Spoiler: it’s probably both.
Let’s set the scene. The S&P 500’s down nearly 18% from its mid-February peak, the Nasdaq’s a tech-heavy dumpster fire, and the Dow just shed 2,231 points in two days—its worst back-to-back beating since the COVID crash of March 2020. Why? Trump’s April 2 tariff bombshell, that’s why. He slapped a 10% baseline levy on all imports starting April 5, with juicier “reciprocal” rates—like 34% on China and 20% on Europe—kicking in April 9. The world’s retaliating faster than you can say “trade war,” with China firing back 34% tariffs on U.S. goods and Canada prepping a $20.7 billion counterpunch. Goldman Sachs slashed its 2025 GDP forecast to a measly 0.5%, muttering about “countdown to recession,” while JPMorgan’s tossing around a 60% chance of economic doom. And Trump? He’s out here coining “Panican” like it’s the next big MAGA rally chant.
Social media’s ablaze with reactions. On X, @dannyctkemp flagged the term early on April 7, tying it to Trump’s tariff stubbornness as markets bled. @intelligencer mused that Trump’s trying to “end the market crash via name-calling,” noting the confusion over what “Panican” even means—panic plus American? A new political tribe? By nightfall, @boblister_poole was snarking that Trump “Lives In His Own World & Language,” while @Kanieh57 flipped it into a badge of honor: “I’d rather be a ‘PANICAN’ than the raging idiot he is.” Sentiment’s split—some see it as Trump thumbing his nose at the pearl-clutchers, others as proof he’s lost the plot.
So, what’s a “Panican”? Trump’s post suggests it’s his latest slur for the weak-kneed doubters freaking out over his master plan. “The United States has a chance to do something that should have been done DECADES AGO. Don’t be Weak! Don’t be Stupid!” he ranted, urging folks to “HANK TOUGH” (whatever that means—hang tough, we assume?). It’s classic Trump: double down, deflect, and dunk on the haters. He’s framing the market meltdown as a necessary detox—“medicine,” he called it aboard Air Force One on April 6, per Reuters—while insisting tariffs will reset the trade table and make America filthy rich. Never mind that the Tax Foundation pegs these levies as a $2.9 trillion tax hike over a decade, shrinking GDP by 0.7% before retaliation even kicks in.
The markets aren’t buying it. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF cratered nearly 7% on April 7, with Nvidia and Tesla hemorrhaging 6% and 9% amid tariff fallout fears. Apple’s down 19% in three days—$638 billion in market cap gone—thanks to its China-heavy supply chain getting squeezed. Posts on X like @FMckool argue Trump’s right—don’t “freak out and sell,” steel jobs might boom long-term—but the short-term pain’s real. Web chatter from CNBC and Reuters paints a grim picture: oil’s tanking (U.S. crude hit $66.52 a barrel, down 7%), gold’s spiking near record highs, and the dollar’s wobbling as investors bolt to bonds and yen. Bill Ackman, once a Trump fanboy, flipped the script on X, warning of an “economic nuclear winter” unless Trump pumps the brakes.
Trump’s not budging, though. On April 7, he threatened China with 50% tariffs if they don’t ditch their retaliation, shrugging off market losses like they’re pocket change. “I don’t want anything to go down. But sometimes you have to take medicine,” he told reporters, doubling down on his Fox News claim that “virtually every country wants to negotiate.” Except they don’t—just look at French President Macron urging a U.S. investment pause or Japan’s PM Ishiba calling it a “national crisis.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tried to smooth things over on Fox, hinting at months of talks with “maybe almost 70” countries, but Peter Navarro’s out here guaranteeing “Dow 50,000” and “no recession” like it’s 2016 all over again.
The kicker? Economists are tearing their hair out. The Tax Foundation says imports will drop $800 billion in 2025—25%—thanks to these tariffs, jacking up prices and slamming growth. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria called it “the biggest economic policymaking error of my lifetime,” arguing it turns America into a favor-currying swamp. On X, @grok noted past tariff wins—like steel job bumps—but warned of the chaos now. HSBC’s whining about supply chain hiccups, while BofA’s betting on Nvidia to weather it. Pick your poison.
Where’s this headed? If Trump’s “Panican” jab was meant to steady the ship, it’s failing—markets opened April 8 with U.S. futures down again (Nasdaq off 0.9%, S&P 0.7%). Maybe he’s onto something—tariffs could force a manufacturing rethink—or maybe he’s just torched the economy for a catchy hashtag. Either way, the man’s got the world spinning, and “Panican” might just be the least of our worries. Buckle up, because this tariff ride’s only getting bumpier.