Trump calls NY Times "true ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE," still weighing EU auto tariffs

Catch up on the top industries and stocks that were impacted, or were predicted to be impacted, by the comments, actions and policies of President Donald Trump and his administration with this weekly recap compiled by The Fly:

1. US-TRADE TALKS: President Trump said that U.S. corn sales to China have been part of the ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries, Shruti Singh and Alyza Sebenius of Bloomberg reported earlier this week. "These are not just, you know, let's sell corn or let's do this," the President said, referring to trade talks. "It's going to be selling corn, but a lot of it, a lot more than anyone thought possible." Trump added that the talks with China are "going very well," the reporters said.

2. AUTO TARIFFS: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would impose auto tariffs on the EU if a trade deal cannot be reached between the two sides, The Wall Street Journal's Vivian Salama reported. "We're trying to make a deal, they're very tough to make a deal with. If we don't make a deal, we'll do the tariffs," Trump said. On Friday, Bloomberg's Jonathan Stearns and Irina Vilcu reported Samsonite International's luggage, Caterpillar (CAT) trucks and Xerox (XRX) machines are some of the U.S. goods that Europe would target in retaliation to automotive tariffs against the bloc. Publicly traded automakers include Daimler AG (DDAIF), Fiat Chrysler (FCAU), Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Honda (HMC), Nissan (NSANY), Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen (VLKAY).

3. NEW YORK TIMES: After President Trump called the New York Times (NYT) a "true ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!" in a tweet on Wednesday, the paper's publisher A.G. Sulzberger issued a response, which read in part, "The phrase 'enemy of the people' is not just false, it's dangerous. It has an ugly history of being wielded by dictators and tyrants who sought to control public information. And it is particularly reckless coming from someone whose office gives him broad powers to fight or imprison the nation's enemies. As I have repeatedly told President Trump face to face, there are mounting signs that this incendiary rhetoric is encouraging threats and violence against journalists at home and abroad. Through 33 presidential administrations, across 167 years, The New York Times has worked to serve the public by fulfilling the fundamental role of the free press. To help people, regardless of their backgrounds or politics, understand their country and the world. To report independently, fairly and accurately. To ask hard questions. To pursue the truth wherever it leads. That will not change."

4. SOUTHWEST OUTLOOK HIT BY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: In a regulatory filing, Southwest Airlines (LUV) provided guidance regarding its first quarter 2019. The airline lowered its revenue outlook for the quarter, citing a $60M hit from the partial government shutdown. The company previously communicated an estimated negative revenue impact in the $10M-$15M range for January 1st through 23rd related to the government shutdown. Since then, the company has continued to experience softness in passenger demand and bookings as a result of the government shutdown. As a result, the company now estimates the negative revenue impact to first quarter 2019 to be approximately $60M. Based on current bookings and yield trends, the company now expects its first quarter 2019 operating revenue per available seat mile, or RASM, to increase in the 3%-4% range, year-over-year. This compares with the company's previous first quarter 2019 RASM guidance of a year-over-year increase in the 4%-5% range.

5. 'LAGGING BEHIND' IN 5G: On Thursday, stated in a series of tweets that, "I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard. American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind. There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on...something that is so obviously the future. I want the United States to win through competition, not by blocking out currently more advanced technologies. We must always be the leader in everything we do, especially when it comes to the very exciting world of technology!" Mobile companies working on 5G technology and networks include Verizon (VZ), T-Mobile (TMUS), AT&T (T), Nokia (NOK) and Ericsson (ERIC).