Martina Navratilova slams Fox Business over coverage of major US market crash after Donald Trump's reciprocal tariff announcement

Tennis great Martina Navratilova accused Fox Business of what she perceived as a flagrant effort to divert the public's attention from a record economic slump. As financial markets were in shock from the biggest crash since the pandemic, the 18-time Grand Slam singles winner condemned the network for deciding to report on President Joe Biden's unsteady performance during a previous debate rather than reporting on the immediate financial chaos sweeping the nation.

On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump imposed sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on nations with large trade surpluses against the U.S. These tariffs mainly focused on China, India, and EU nations. Trump labeled it a long-overdue correction of decades of "one-sided" trade agreements, even referring to the day the tariffs went into effect as "Liberation Day."

Although the former president presented it as an economic reboot in favor of American manufacturing, the international reaction was immediate—and severe. China rapidly retaliated with the 34% tariff against US goods, which created panic in the markets that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummet by more than 2,200 points within two days, and the S&P 500 decline more than 15% from its February high into correction mode.

But while markets were plummeting and the Volatility Index (VIX) spiked above 40—indicating extreme investor anxiety—Fox Business broadcast a segment recapping Biden's widely panned 2024 debate performance. A screenshot of the broadcast, with Biden front and center in a moment of apparent confusion, quickly circulated on social media.

Navratilova reposted the image on X (formerly Twitter), bluntly captioning it:

"Propaganda anyone???"

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Martina Navratilova blasted Donald Trump for damaging America’s global standing

In Picture: Martina Navratilova during the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards press conference (Image source: Getty)

Martina Navratilova expressed outrage after learning that only 16% of Germans view the United States as trustworthy—a sharp decline she attributed to Donald Trump. According to Germany’s Deutschland TREND poll by Infratest dimap and ARD, the U.S. ranked near the bottom in public trust.

France led with an 85% trust rating, the UK followed at 78%, while the U.S. faced 75% distrust—just slightly ahead of Russia at 83%. Reacting strongly to the findings, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion criticized Trump for damaging America’s global image, writing:

"And this is how quickly one can destroy a country’s reputation- trump did this, nobody else comes even close. How utterly sad. Our word means absolutely nothing now. What other country can you say that about? None of the European democracies. Not Australia. Not Japan. Etc…"

Previously, Martina Navratilova also slammed Trump for labeling U.S. media outlets as “illegal” and “corrupt” simply for criticizing him.

About the author

Shashank, a tennis journalist at Sportskeeda, joined the company about a year and a half ago. Despite his background in software engineering, his passion for the sport drove him to switch gears and dive into full-time journalism before which he worked as a tech writer.

With over 1000 articles and nearly 4 million views under his belt at SK, his stories stand out thanks to his deep dives into match stats, player tactics, and historical patterns, offering readers a fresh take every time. Above all, he is meticulous, making sure to double-check information from reliable sources before sharing it.

In Shashank's view, there's no room for debate: Novak Djokovic reigns supreme as the ultimate GOAT. He draws inspiration from the Serb's resilience, hard work, and relentless attitude, channeling those qualities into his own work.

Outside of his tennis musings, he finds joy in hitting the court himself, exploring new destinations during his travels, and watching movies.

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Edited by Anisha Chatterjee