Tweets American companies are "hereby ordered" to leave China; asks if Powell is a "bigger enemy" th

On August 23, 2019, amid escalating trade-war retaliation, Trump tweeted that "Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing your companies HOME." Legal experts noted the president has no clear authority to order private companies to withdraw from a country; the statement sent markets sharply lower. The same day he tweeted, referring to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, "My only question is, who is our bigger enemy, Jay Powell or Chairman Xi?" Analysts described the "hereby ordered" language and the framing of the independent Fed chair as an "enemy" as an assertion of personal command over economic actors and institutions beyond the president's authority.

"Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing your companies HOME and making your products in the USA." Quote verified against source