Fox News anchor John Roberts offered to bet co-anchor Sandra Smith $1 that the stock market would be at “50,000 points or higher” in a year amid President Donald Trump’s tariff-fueled market dive.
Trump rolled out a tariff program Wednesday that was much larger and more comprehensive than many expected — cratering stock futures almost instantly.
The next morning, the stock market dropped like a boulder as soon as the opening bell rang, and coverage of the unfolding financial disaster dominated the news.
On Thursday afternoon’s edition of Fox News Channel’s America Reports, Roberts took a philosophical approach when Fox News Senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy concluded a report on the White House’s “low blood pressure” attitude about the stock market.
Roberts noted the market and when Smith pushed back, offered her that bet — which she declined:
PETER DOOCY: I’ve talked to a bunch of folks around here about this. They all have a very low blood pressure about the market dropping. They thought this was gonna happen. It is happening.
There’s already even today some talk about this potential TikTok sale announcement as a shiny object for people to look at to see that not all the economic news is as bad as you see in the corner, John.
JOHN ROBERTS: The market goes up, the market goes down, it always has, it likely always will. Peter, thank you so much.
We are going to chew this over a lot though in the next couple of hours, Sandy.
SANDRA SMITH: My response to that is that there are people who need to get out at a certain given moment and if the market is down in that moment it could be very harmful to somebody’s 401k. So the timing of the market, is everything when it is up and when it’s down.
JOHN ROBERTS: You know, my financial planner has said don’t suddenly get out. I mean, even if you’re about to retire, don’t get out, leave a certain part of your portfolio in the stock market because it’ll go back up again at some point.
I mean when you take a look at the ups and downs, it’s had some pretty big swoons, but in the end it’s higher than it was before. Historically.
SANDRA SMITH: Historically it does only go up. That is that is true, but it has had its moments. So right now–
JOHN ROBERTS: I got a dollar. I got $1. I’m a big wagerer. I’ve got a $1 that this time next year it’ll be $50,000 or above.
SANDRA SMITH: 50,000 or above on the Dow, you’re talking.
JOHN ROBERTS: Well it wouldn’t be the NASDAQ. (LAUGHS)
SANDRA SMITH: I will not bet against you or with you. So there are some of those like technical levels that are, we’re getting close to them.
Watch above via Fox News Channel’s America Reports.