Voters elected Trump to find a way to curb the hotter inflation that occurred under President Joe Biden. But the president has also sought to impose tariffs to extract concessions and raise revenues on the belief — which many economists dispute — that America’s yawning trade deficit is a sign of weakness.

Surprisingly strong U.S. inflation in January stoked investor fears that a heating economy and looming tariffs could corner the Federal Reserve, undercutting interest rate-cut hopes and even raising the threat of a hike.

Markets took a sharp downward turn on Wall Street after U.S. government data Wednesday showed that inflation accelerated last month. Futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq all fell at least 1% less than an hour before the opening bell.