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Iger’s Tariffying Assessment

Behind closed doors, Disney chief Bob Iger offered a blunt assessment of Donald Trump’s tariffs—underscoring how media executives are bracing for the fallout.

Author

Oliver Darcy
April 03, 2025

Disney boss Bob Iger. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)

On Thursday morning, Bob Iger slipped into ABC News’ daily editorial meeting, surprising staffers with the unannounced visit. The Disney chief was in New York City after attending a premiere the night before, and as he often does when he’s in town, he dropped by the network’s Manhattan offices. But on this particular morning, his timing was notable: the newsroom was deep in discussion about Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs and the market turbulence they were fueling.

Iger joined the conversation. The Disney boss, according to people familiar with the matter, referenced two new Disney cruise ships currently under construction and pointed out how reliant they are on steel, indicating that the tariffs will likely drive up Disney’s costs, though it’s unclear by how much. If prices climb too high, Iger said in the closed door meeting, the company might need to scale back spending.

And Iger was just getting started. As the conversation around tariffs unfolded, he kept jumping in—offering more of his unfiltered views to the ABC News staff…

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