Three months into his second term, President Donald Trump’s promises of a booming economy and lower grocery prices have crashed harder than a poorly built wall.
Instead, we’re witnessing economic chaos and a country simmering with unrest, all thanks to his self-inflicted wounds.
Trump’s trade war, waged against our closest allies, is nothing short of economic malpractice. He claims these tariffs will magically resurrect American manufacturing, a feat about as likely as finding a unicorn dancing on a rainbow.
Let’s be real – rebuilding a manufacturing base that’s been fading since the early 1900s? It’s a pipe dream, a decades-long slog at best and an inconvenience to Americans. Even if the factories were to return to America, there wouldn’t be many opportunities to be had. It isn’t 1850 anymore. We have automation and artificial intelligence that can be programmed to create what’s supposed to be built. That doesn’t sound very pro-job.
The moment Trump’s tariffs hit the news, the market plunged, according to CNBC, a sickening free fall rivaled only by the panic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This wasn’t some unavoidable act of God, however; it was a deliberate, self-inflicted wound. So, congratulations, Trump and the MAGA faithful – you’ve torpedoed the economy again.
Millions of Americans are watching their 401(k)s and investment portfolios vanish, their retirement dreams turning to dust. But let’s talk about these ‘reciprocal’ tariffs, shall we?
Trump, in his infinite wisdom, based them on trade deficits, or the difference between imports and exports. He didn’t base them on actual trade barriers, the taxes imposed on imported goods, which are significantly lower than the tariffs proposed by Trump.
He declared April 2 “Liberation Day,” while he was really just laying another tax burden on the American people.
Here’s the truth: tariffs are sales taxes in disguise. They start with the country, then hit importers, then manufacturers and guess who pays the final bill? You and I. Every step of the way through the supply chain, prices climb to protect profit margins, leaving us footing the bill for Trump’s economic blunders.
And it gets worse. While we’re paying more for everything, our financial security is crumbling. The Standard & Poor’s 500, National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations and Dow Jones all tanked by over 5% last week, according to LiveMint.
A devastating blow to anyone relying on the stock market for opportunity and financial growth. Normally, a dip is a buying opportunity when it comes to Wall Street, but this isn’t a dip; it’s a cliff.
Only the ultra-rich, Trump’s billionaire buddies, can afford to buy low in this chaos. They snag up stocks at rock-bottom prices, then cash out when the market rebounds, thanks to Trump’s pauses and adjustments he made on April 9, according to NBC.
It’s a rigged game, designed to make the rich richer, while the rest of us get perpetually screwed out of our financial security.
This isn’t just incompetence from Trump; it’s exploitation. Trump doesn’t care about your retirement or your savings or “making America affordable again,” as he mentioned numerous times on the campaign trail. He only cares about lining the pockets of his cronies, playing golf and pretending he’s some kind of economic genius.
While Trump nonchalantly watches the American economy crumble right in front of him, to make it even worse, he refuses to take any accountability for the damages his policies created.
If Trump keeps playing these games, the American people will wake up. They’ll realize they are being played. The president of the United States shouldn’t be lying to the public, ignoring the economic wreckage he created and pretending it’s all someone else’s fault.
It’s a disgrace.
