Despite the fact that the American economy was called “the envy of the world” at the end of the Biden administration, the Trump administration has set about to take action to destabilize that economy – even adding increased prices (the primary concern despite being the “envy of the world,” despite the fact that inflation was going down in October of 2024), with tariffs, layoffs, a slumping, and anticipated lower GDP – actions that Musk, the Trump administration, and Fox News now admit will inflict pain on Americans. None of this “had to be.” The tariffs on Canadian imports and government layoffs (Now significant enough to impact the national numbers, estimated as anywhere between one-third to over one-half of jobs lost) are just two examples of purposeful decisions that inherently hurt American consumers. This is aside from possible cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. The impending pain is now sufficiently established such that it’s addressed by the media and administration officials – though now said to be something “inherited.”
Larry Kudlow is one of Fox News’s “go to” economic analysts and he just interviewed the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins about the oncoming economic pain. Little is said about the actions taken that would exacerbate pain in just about any context. From a transcript provided by JoeMyGod:
KUDLOW: “You know, Brooke, the other part of this, and I appreciate what you’re trying to do on the egg story. It’s a hard story. You inherited that story.”
USDA SEC. BROOKE ROLLINS: “That’s right.”
KUDLOW: “Some very, very smart people are telling me that the jobs number that’s coming at the February jobs number that’s coming out Friday could be flat, even negative, Brookie! The GDP now tracker from the Atlanta Fed is showing, I mean, for the first quarter, a minus two and a half or -2.8%, and we’ve had lousy numbers on things like housing and business investment.
“My generic point here, with respect to affordability and the economy, is we’re going to have to suffer through some bad news! This has nothing to do with Trump. Trump’s programs not in yet! And I’ve got people on the left who are blaming Trump. How can you blame Trump when he wasn’t president when these seeds were planted?”
Nice. Couched as merely “bad news” without mention that bad news is most-often premised on bad impacts, both individually and on the whole. As to “seeds planted” – that is too cute by a half. Despite the fact that inflation had been high enough to be a big concern, it had been falling by the end of the Biden administration. As for job losses, there was no seed in place that necessitated one-third to one-half of the jobs lost within the federal government. Even if one accepted the premise that federal jobs needed to be cut – dubious as to Air Traffic Control, Social Security, Park Rangers, and VA – they could easily have been phased out to lessen acute impact and possible destabilization. Finally, other than the .2% of America’s fentanyl seized at the Canadian border, there is no sufficient explanation as to why Trump would break the North American trade agreement with Canada that he put in place during his first administration.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins simply begins with the premise that there was an entire economy to “turn around” upon inheriting the job:
ROLLINS: “Well, you couldn’t be more right about that because we’ve only been here 30 plus days. You can’t turn an entire economy around in 30 days.”
Again, Rollins would have to explain to the radically liberal editors at The Economist why the “entire economy” would need to be turned around at all. It is true that one cannot turn an economy around in 30 days. It seems equally true that steps can be taken that create economic pain (Even if one accepts it is only near term). So much of this could have been phased in if it were the root of the problem. Shrinking government and destabilizing international relationships seems like the real agenda.
We have seen Trump supporters question the tariffs, the DOGE cuts, local impacts, and VA cuts – and the townhalls in red districts. It does seem like they are readying the public for what they reference as short term pain – that sounds more like “hope” as economics can be frighteningly unpredictable. They are not giving many specifics as to why these steps are necessary – we only know that promised tax cuts to the wealthy are coming (The news will be on relatively small tax cuts to any middle class cuts, said – by Grok – to be more than offset by price increases due to tariffs.) Other than that? There is a lot that seems to be premised on “Because this is what we want” more than solid answers as to justifications. They do want us ready.
So… Be ready, I guess.
God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and on twitter-X at @JasonMiciak, and follow now on Bluesky.
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If they crash all government services hard and fast and long enough there will be no small dollar Democratic funders or even volunteers for elections ,only layers of chaos distracting everyone as they try to survive.
That’s the point. Make sure we’re so upset and confused we are unable to fight back.
We need to protest more. Make your republican congress critters sorry they ever dealt with trump. They won’t do a town hall. Go to their office, go to where they live
Every time Trump opens one of his 3 mouths , the market tanks, a little more. Trump doesn’t seem to understand that the market works off of futures, and with him there is no telling what the future holds. And as long as he keeps up the chaotic dribble, the markets will keep going down.