America's Top CEOs Worry about Trump's Drift Toward Quasi-Socialist System

Top CEOs worry that Donald Trump isn't exactly Making America Great Again, unless the goal was to turn it into a quasi-socialist system. They find his policies both illegal and ineffective.

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Behind closed doors, America’s top CEOs shared concerns about Trump’s “drift toward a quasi-socialist system,” as well as the fact that nearly three-quarters of all executives surveyed “said they the courts are correct in saying Trump’s tariffs are illegal as implemented.”

Top American CEOs gathered at the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute’s CEO forum that brings together leaders with Fortune 500 CEOs. Direct quotes are off the record. The CEOs are “primarily Republican.”

The Fortune forum “welcomed senators from both parties and senior Trump administration officials,” and they had to then face “a near-unanimous decision from more than 100 leading business leaders, representing some of the world’s largest companies and most recognized brands: Trump’s policies are ineffective,” Fortune tells us.

Yes, a room full of capitalist Republicans say Trump’s policies are “ineffective.”

They worry about Trump’s drift toward quasi-socialist system that confiscates property from private shareholders, etc. They are “dismayed” over Trump’s “departure from the capitalist system”:

“CEOs told us they still believe in the promise of the United States and its capitalist system, but it’s hard to ignore the Trump administration’s drift toward a quasi-socialist system that confiscates property from private shareholders, singles out talent, and selectively blocks entry into strategic markets for political gain and bribes. Nearly three-quarters of the CEOs surveyed expressed confidence in the ability of American liberal capitalism to compete with China’s socialist market economy in the global race for AI, and expressed near-unanimous dismay at the Trump administration’s departure from the capitalist system.”

They see Trump’s market interventions “as more akin to those of China than to the America envisioned by the ‘Make America Great Again’ agenda.”

They are also afraid that Trump is weakening America’s economic foundations.

“Trump is undermining an economic system that took decades to build and has benefited the United States more than any other country, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, solely for short-term gain. They see what is happening as a weakening of America’s economic foundations and institutions.”

“As expected, inflation has risen, reversing the downward trend Trump inherited from the Biden administration, and the job market remains weak.” Also, the tariffs aren’t working. “They added that, for now, the cost of tariffs still far exceeds the benefits provided by the Trump administration, prompting murmurs of approval from the room.”

More than three-quarters said Trump is not acting in the US’s best interest and one raised concerns about Trump’s policies weakening the global dominance of the US dollar.

“More than three-quarters of respondents said Trump was not acting in the US’s best interest by pressuring Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. A majority believed the president had permanently undermined the Federal Reserve’s independence, and more than 60% said his recent politicization was responsible.”

Oh, and also, when a commenter compared MAGA to the Maoist movement, there wasn’t an outcry of disagreement. “Quite the opposite.”

To be clear, historical and contemporary Maoist movements have been criticized for their use of violence, disregard for human rights, and the catastrophic failures of certain policies. Then in recent decades, insurgent groups in countries like India and Nepal have faced accusations of terror tactics, extortion, and targeting civilians.

The CEOs are not impressed with TACO’s foreign policy, either.

“… More than three-quarters of CEOs now believe that relations with Russia and Ukraine have deteriorated since Trump took office. A similar percentage of CEOs believe we risk losing the momentum gained in the Middle East through the Abraham Accords.”

There is a “clear desire to return to a respect for the balance of powers in government, to reinforce international allies, to fortify independent, objective expertise of economists and scientists, to encourage freedom of voice, to stop bullying countries, cities, and companies into resentful, uneconomical compromises.”

In other words, CEOs want to go back to pre-Trump America, and they haven’t yet really experienced the economic hardship that regular American citizens have under Trump.

Who knew that House and Senate Republicans would be backing a President who is turning America into China and modeling the adapted Marxism-Leninism ideology of Maoism that is inspiring insurgent movements around the globe.

“Well, well, well. How the turntables have turned.”

Make America China!

Do you agree with the CEO’s? Join the discussion in the comments below.