NEW YORK — On Twitter and in public, Donald Trump remains an uncompromising mix of bluster and bombast. Behind the scenes, he's confronting, and in some cases succumbing (slightly) to, the hard truths of governing and leading a world that hangs on his every word.
When we went to interview him in his office in Trump Tower on Tuesday, 72 hours before he takes office, we expected the emphatic showman who was on display through the campaign, and as recently as last week's press conference.
Instead we found the incoming president unusually subdued: lowering expectations, acknowledging some of the messy realities of governing, and walking back some of the more provocative statements he had made only days before. A top adviser told us the sober tone reflects a bumpy few days inside Trump Tower — and the realization that he's days away from truly running the nation.
The Dow Jones closed on Tuesday at the lowest level of 2017
Investors are starting to lose confidence that the top priorities of the Trump Administration are sure bets to boost corporate profits. With the Obamacare repeal taking center stage in Washington, chances of swift action on infrastructure spending and corporate tax reform have come down, along with some of the more optimistic valuations of America's biggest companies.
Stronger sales and trading revenue following November's presidential election helped Morgan Stanley double its profit in the 4th quarter of 2016. Earnings rose to $1.51 billion from $753 million a year earlier.
