JOBS TWEET RUFFLES FEATHERS
With a tantalizing tweet, U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to tease a positive jobs report on Friday, a protocol-defying step that moved markets and raised questions about the propriety of the president publicly hinting at information that could make or lose fortunes. Treasury yields jumped and the value of the U.S. dollar increased within seconds of Trump’s 7:21 a.m. tweet that said he was “looking forward to seeing the employment numbers at 8:30 this morning,” suggesting that traders likely were making investment decisions based on what they extrapolated from Trump’s post. The director of the White House National Economic Council, Larry Kudlow, said he briefed Trump on the jobs report on Thursday evening. Though Trump’s tweet drew sharp criticism, Kudlow defended it as appropriate. “Why not? He didn’t give any numbers,” Kudlow told reporters.