'This kind of thing is not good...': Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer warns on Trump's tariff war fallout

As US markets stagger under the weight of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer isn’t mincing words. Speaking at Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration, Ballmer warned that both consumers and investors will feel the sting of trade restrictions on imports from more than 100 countries. “As a Microsoft shareholder, this kind of thing is not good,” he told CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin. Yet amid the economic turbulence, Ballmer sees a long-term play.

With the tech sector reeling from sharp losses, Ballmer urged companies to focus on resilience and sustained investment.

“The thing I would say is to make sure that you … invest your way through the tumult which is today,” Ballmer said in an interview with Yahoo Finance during the anniversary event in Washington.

Referencing mounting global pressures and a potentially weakening economy, Ballmer stressed a longer-term approach. “Whether it's going to be a down economy, whether it's going to be pressure from governments around the world. If you take a long-term view, don't worry so much about the short-term and short-term profits; serve your customers well. Serve the governments and cultures in which you serve well. You will come out the back end.”

Reflecting on his own leadership during the Great Recession, Ballmer said he took a similar stance at the time. Now, with tariffs hitting over 100 countries, he anticipates more instability. “I took just enough economics in college to know that tariffs are actually going to bring some turmoil,” he noted.

The impact is already visible in the tech sector. Microsoft’s stock closed down 3.5%, Apple tumbled 7.2%, Google slipped 3.4%, and Amazon dropped 4%. Broader indexes mirrored the decline, with the S&P 500 shedding 6% and the Nasdaq falling 5.8%.

“People are feeling it, not just the stock market. People are going to feel it,” Ballmer said, underlining the widespread economic strain beyond Wall Street.