Trump tariffs, Musk’s DOGE role and AI are among the top concerns shared by CEOs, Cramer says​on February 18, 2025 at 11:56 pm

CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Tuesday discussed what was on the forefront of the minds of CEOs, saying that he got the chance to speak with many when he attended the Super Bowl.

“After talking to so many CEOs at the big game, I can give you a sense about what they cared about,” he said. “And even though their views definitely aren’t the same as, say, the average American … they’re a lot more relevant to the way we do business in this country and to why the stock market just hit a new high again today.”

Aspects of President Donald Trump’s administration are confusing to Wall Street executives, Cramer said. While some like that Trump is trying to dismantle federal bureaucracy, they dislike his tariff plans, he added, and think they’re generally disorganized and not good for business. They are also puzzled by the actions of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who Trump has empowered and tasked with reducing federal spending, Cramer said. According to Cramer, executives largely respect Musk as a businessperson but don’t understand why he’s targeting small government agencies instead of enormous ones like defense.

Cramer suggested that executives are broadly hoping for a rollback in regulations, even as those who control large outfits feel they can handle such restrictions better than smaller companies. Many also expect that new leadership at the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department will be less adversarial towards big business than appointees during the Biden administration, he continued.

Artificial intelligence powerhouse Nvidia continually hold CEOs’ attention, Cramer said. Many are surprised that the semiconductor designer “came from nowhere” to be a market leader and wish they’d bought the stock, he continued. But CEOs are also concerned about AI in general, Cramer added. To him, business leaders are convinced that the new technology is valid, but they haven’t yet figured out how to use it to save money and boost efficiency.

“Are they baffled by AI?” Cramer asked. “You bet they are.”