This is the key point. It’s uncertainty which spooks the markets and investor confidence.
There has already been capital flight. Trump's (temporary?) U-turn on tariffs was due to a massive sell-off in US Treasuries, largely by the Japanese, which caused yields to jump.
https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20250412232/how...
The US would certainly be in trouble if the perception of instability reduces the appetite for US debt, or if holders choose to weaponize it.