ECONOMY/ELECTION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “If the stock market keeps dropping, President Trump could lose one of his favorite bragging rights. Concerns about higher interest rates, Mr. Trump’s trade policies and slower economic growth outside the United States have weighed heavily on stocks this month. The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index is down 5 percent in October and sits 5.6 percent below its record high in September. Still the stock market remains up a lot since Election Day in 2016, something Mr. Trump has often trumpeted. And with the economy solid and unemployment low, the recent volatility in the stock market is unlikely to have much effect on the midterm elections next month. But the stock market is one of the most prominent indicators of confidence, and recent weakness suggests investors have some doubts about Mr. Trump’s leadership. If the S. & P. 500 falls further, Mr. Trump will struggle to compare himself favorably with other presidents.”
–Peter Eavis, “The Trump Bump in Stocks Is Weakening,” The New York Times online, October 22, 2018