President Trump’s economic advisers have used a hodgepodge of messages to justify starting trade wars that are spooking markets.

President Trump says reciprocal tariffs will kick in on April 2, when the U.S. will match the higher tariffs other countries impose on the U.S. Economists explain why this “tit for tat” strategy isn’t effective trade policy.

The Trump administration's initial policies, including extensive import tariffs, appear to have tilted the U.S. economy toward slower growth and at least temporarily higher inflation, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday,