Americans braced for era of uncertainty as Trump doubles down on tariffs

Recession fears are mounting, and anxiety is high - but the president remains unmoved by criticism of his trade plans

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, Americans have grown used to high drama and rapid-fire headlines, as executive orders from the Oval Office have reshaped the US, from stripping back LGBTQ rights to gutting environmental regulations amid a sense that America is slipping into authoritarianism.

But even against that backdrop, last week stood out, as Trump launched a fierce global trade war, imposed tariffs on its trading partners and triggered a global market meltdown, including on Trump's own cherished Wall Street, where hundreds of billions of dollars of stock values evaporated.