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As always, Washington, DC, is filled with voices claiming they know what’s best for America; however, a few of the voices have credence and value. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Monday that the U.S. would "100% not" face a recession this year, and the country’s economic outlook is improving thanks to a flurry of promising trade deals following President Donald Trump’s latest wave of tariffs.

Hassett stated that more than 10 countries have offered what he described as “excellent, amazing” trade deals in response to Trump’s sweeping tariff measures. The president’s recent decision to impose reciprocal tariffs on dozens of nations has stirred global markets and drawn sharp political reactions, but Hassett insists the move is already yielding tangible results.

Despite Hassett’s upbeat forecast, business leaders and economists remain split. A survey from a prominent industry group released Monday revealed that 62% of U.S. CEOs still anticipate a recession or significant economic slowdown within the next six months.

Still, Hassett dismissed the pessimism, pointing to what he called “really, really good” jobs data and anecdotal evidence from executives who say their companies are shifting operations back to the U.S. in anticipation of sustained tariff pressure on imports. He also noted that consumers are rapidly purchasing foreign goods ahead of possible future price increases, fueling a short-term spike in demand.

Markets soared on Wednesday after Trump unexpectedly rolled back the full brunt of his reciprocal tariff plan, replacing the sweeping penalties with a 10% flat rate for 90 days. That announcement came just hours after the tariffs initially took effect and notably, just after Trump posted on Truth Social: “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!”

The timing of the policy reversal and Trump’s bullish post triggered a political firestorm. Democrats in Congress are now calling for investigations into potential insider trading or market manipulation. They cite a suspicious spike in the purchase of call options, which benefit investors if stock prices rise, that occurred minutes before the tariff rollback was made public.

Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to insist that electronics, including phones, computers, and semiconductors, had not been exempted from tariffs, contradicting weekend reports to the contrary. According to Trump, these products will instead be subject to a different tariff “bucket” at a later date.

Despite the confusion, markets appeared to regain confidence Monday, with major indices ticking upward as investors assessed the likelihood of new trade deals and a stabilized policy path.

Final Word: It’s not done until the fat lady sings! …and then we are all hoping she sings the right song.