On Friday, NBC’s Today devoted a full report to stoking fears that Donald Trump’s criticism of individual businesses could ruin people’s investments. MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle appeared on the morning show to warn viewers: “Imagine a tweet, a single tweet losing you money. 140 characters could cost you 140 bucks maybe 1,400, maybe more. That is how powerful the president's voice is, it can move markets.”

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She took aim at the President-elect: “And whether you know it or not, that offhanded tweet from Donald Trump blasting the CEO, hitting up this industry, it could send your 401(k) up or down – maybe it already has.” Moments later, Ruhle noted that “Trump’s intervention in business has some CEOs nervous.”

Citing Trump’s recent criticism of Boeing, Ruhle fretted: “...firing off this tweet, slamming Boeing over the cost of a new Air Force One model....Boeing’s stock dropped $2 a share, losing more than $1 billion of its total market value.”

NBC suddenly discovered the value of free-market capitalism, with Ruhle lecturing: “Still, the President-elect’s strategy could anger some members of his own party who have long argued to keep the government out of the free market.” The network’s chief business correspondent Ali Velshi chimed in: “It does not sit well with ideological conservatives, who think that presidents and governments shouldn't be picking winners and losers.”

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Where was this concern from the media when President Obama was bailing out the auto industry with taxpayer dollars or cutting deals with health insurance companies in order gain their support for ObamaCare?

Ruhle lamented: “Trump's comments may have the power to negatively impact your 401(k)....There are traders out there now actually building computer programs that wait for Trump tweets and then they make a trade within seconds....And when computer traders get involved, you better watch out for wild swings.”

The Today show segment came on the heels of Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd taking to NBCNews.com’s First Read blog to worry that Trump was playing a “dangerous game” of “picking winners and losers.”

Here is a full transcript of Ruhle’s December 9 report on Today: