Politics and portfolios. They’re basically glued together these days. If you’re looking at the ticker tape in 2026, you’ve probably noticed that the "Trump Trade" isn't just a theory anymore—it’s the actual plumbing of the current market. Honestly, trying to separate your's or anyone's investments from the headlines right now is like trying to stay dry in a hurricane.
But here’s the thing. Most people are still chasing the same three stocks everyone talked about two years ago. That’s a mistake. The landscape has shifted. We aren't just speculating on what might happen; we are living through the reality of a second term where deregulation and "America First" aren't just slogans—they’re line items in corporate earnings reports.
If you want to know what to invest in if trump wins (or rather, now that he has), you have to look at where the red tape is actually being cut. It’s not always where the loudest shouting is.
The "Big Bank" Renaissance and the Capital Cliff
Banks love a vacuum. Specifically, a vacuum of regulation.
Under the current administration, the push to recalibrate capital requirements has been a massive tailwind. Think about it: if a bank like JPMorgan Chase or Bank of America doesn't have to sit on as much "rainy day" cash because of loosened Basel III oversight, that money doesn't just vanish. It goes into buybacks. It goes into dividends. It goes into mid-market lending.
We've seen Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan significantly outpace the S&P 500 recently. It’s not just because they’re "good" at banking. It’s because the cost of compliance is plummeting. When the SEC streamlines S-1 and S-3 filings, the barrier to entry for IPOs drops. More IPOs mean more fees for the big investment houses. It's a feedback loop that feels almost 2010-era in its optimism.
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Energy Dominance: Beyond Just "Drill, Baby, Drill"
Everyone knows about oil. Yes, Exxon and Chevron are the obvious plays when environmental rules get slashed. But the real 2026 story? It’s the "Golden Fleet" and the power grid.
The administration has been eyeing resource-rich plays that sound like they're out of a Tom Clancy novel—think Venezuela and even Greenland. While the headlines focus on the drama, the smart money is looking at the service providers. Companies like Caterpillar and Vulcan Materials are basically the "picks and shovels" for the infrastructure boom that's supposed to follow this energy push.
The Uranium Sleeper Hit
Don't sleep on nuclear. With the drive to lower electricity costs for AI data centers, uranium has become a weirdly bipartisan-adjacent darling, but Trump’s team has pushed it harder. Companies like Cameco are at the center of this. If you’re betting on the US becoming an energy superpower, you can’t do it with just crude oil. You need a base load that can power the massive NVIDIA-fueled data centers popping up in places like Ohio and Texas.
The Crypto Capital of the Planet?
Bitcoin at $100,000 used to be a meme. Now? It’s a Tuesday.
The "Trump Bump" in crypto was fueled by a very specific promise: making the U.S. the crypto capital of the world. By appointing regulators who actually like the industry—instead of trying to sue it into oblivion—the administration has basically de-risked the sector for institutional players.
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- Strategic Reserves: The talk of a National Bitcoin Stockpile isn't just for the "HODL" crowd. It signals that the government views digital assets as a legitimate tier of the national balance sheet.
- Coinbase & Ecosystems: If you aren't comfortable holding the coins directly, the infrastructure plays are where the volatility is slightly more managed (only slightly, let's be real).
The launch of World Liberty Financial and the $Trump memecoin showed just how deep the connection between the executive branch and the crypto world has become. It’s unconventional. It’s controversial. But for an investor, it’s a clear signal of where the regulatory winds are blowing.
Tariffs, Tech, and the Manufacturing "Bust"
Here is where it gets tricky. The "America First" trade policy is a double-edged sword.
Trump’s 25% tariff on advanced computing chips—like those from AMD and NVIDIA—is designed to force manufacturing back to US soil. On paper, that sounds great for domestic players like Intel or Nucor Steel. In practice, it creates a lot of "whiplash" in the short term.
You’ve got to be careful here. While factory output rose in 2025, the actual jobs haven't always followed at the same pace. The real winners are the "National Champions"—firms that the government is essentially treating as too vital to fail. If a company is getting a massive tax break to build a plant in Michigan, they’re probably a safer bet than a firm that relies entirely on a complex, overseas supply chain that could be severed by a Truth Social post at 2 AM.
The Counter-Intuitive Play: Europe and Gold
Wait, why would you buy European stocks if Trump wins?
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Because the market loves a hedge. In 2025, many investors got spooked by the radical shifts in U.S. policy and "fished elsewhere." The FTSE 100 and the German DAX actually had bumper years because they were seen as stable, "boring" alternatives to the high-beta volatility of the U.S. market.
And then there's gold. Gold has soared—up nearly 70% since the 2025 inauguration. Why? Inflation. Even with deregulation, the massive spending and tariffs have kept prices "sticky." When people get worried about the dollar weakening or the Fed losing its independence, they buy gold. It’s the oldest trade in the book, and it’s working again.
Actionable Insights for Your Portfolio
Don't just buy the hype. Do this instead:
- Audit your "Supply Chain Risk": Look at your tech holdings. If they are 100% dependent on Taiwan or China without a U.S. "Plan B," they are vulnerable to the next round of Section 232 tariffs.
- Watch the Fed Independence: If you see more headlines about the President attacking Jerome Powell, expect the bond market to get messy. Keep some cash in high-yield vehicles or gold to offset the potential dip in equities.
- Focus on "Permitting Winners": Look for energy and infra companies that were previously stalled by EPA rules. Those projects are getting greenlit now.
- Rebalance into Financials: The "excess capital" story in big banks is real. They have billions that can now be returned to shareholders.
The 2026 market isn't about "set it and forget it." It’s about movement. The sectors that benefit from a Trump win are those that thrive on speed, less oversight, and domestic production. Just keep an eye on the exit—volatility is the only thing that's truly guaranteed.