Op-Ed

[900 words]
[184 footnote words]

Let’s be clear, Donald Trump is not making America “great again” nor is he putting America first, not like it was possible anyway. As 2018 ends, it has become increasingly clear that the high of Donald Trump’s economy was short-lived as it already comes to a slow crawl. Between Trump’s scandals, tariff wars, tax cuts and his incompetence, America is heading for a new low. It is widely known that Donald Trump is not the great businessman he claims to be and, since becoming president of the United States, one would think he would have surrounded himself with smart individuals. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Regardless, Trump’s lack of political, business and even human intellect, is not the sole cause for the “sugar high” yo-yo economy America is subjected to. Rather, the American economy is subjected to this cyclical rotation of “not so bad” to “better” to “garbage” economic status by the party who holds the most political influence (i.e. controlling party). Donald Trump’s ties to the business sector doesn’t help either. It is wise to keep in mind, Donald Trump won’t be president forever and after leaving a stain in the White House he will return to his usual shenanigans. With that said, hopefully America won’t be so unfortunate to have Trump remain in office another term.

The point is, Trump wants to either secure his existing money or make more, so it makes no sense for him to truly put America first when it will cost him money. Trump did not reform American taxes. He only implemented tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, despite how much it will cost majority of American taxpayers or how much it will add to the deficit. Regarding Trump’s “America first” tariffs, these tariffs haven’t secured any real longstanding fiscal security for importers, farmers or American businesses. Furthermore, it’s not so much that Trump and his administration created “massive huge” job growth in the last two years, it’s more likely that the corporations who benefit the most from Trump’s position hyped the market to create a false security.

What does a Trump economy entail? It is projected that Donald Trump’s economy is going to do more than just fizzle out. Basic micro/macroeconomics and math tells us that. In a global market with today’s technology, corporations are finding it easier to expend the least amount while extracting the most out of a nation’s society. Because of this, it is easy to recognize that Americans will pay for large corporations to expand and operate globally.

According to the CBO, Trump’s economic plan includes massive tax cuts for the top 6.3% of high-income earners ($200,000+ yearly) and corporations.  CNBC’s suggestion that Trump’s impact on the economy is not a “sugar high” doesn’t match up with the actual current or future projected impact on or for majority of Americans.[1],[2] Trump’s economic and tax plan is nothing new, it travels the same beaten paths of Nixon and G. W. Bush and is insignificantly different than that of the Reaganomic’s trickledown effect. An economic plan that has been tested to be weak, unfulfilling and a drain on the nation.

In fact, starting in 2019, the bottom 22 percent all of tax payers will see an increase in taxes owed and all others would see a decrease in return. However, the top 6.3% of tax payers not only won’t be affected by this they will actually receive more benefits. The top high-income earners will receive higher returns.

By 2027 it is projected under this current administration’s tax reform, tax payers who earn $75,000 and above will contribute to the deficit increase and all who earn $69,999 and under will contribute to deficit reduction.[3] Meaning the rich and more fiscally stable people/families will utilize given subsidies and add to the overall American deficit. And those who earn less or who are fiscally unstable will pay more to contribute to America’s debt reduction all while not having the benefit of access to previous or current subsidies to reduce financial burdens.[4]

Since the tax cuts, corporate tax receipts have fallen, very few corporations have increased their payroll to living wages, not as many new businesses have opened as expected.[5],[6] So needless to say, the money has not trickled down like Trump proclaimed it would. Donald Trump mirrored his fiscal stimulus plan off previously tried and failed policies and it was just as unsuccessful as it was for George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, Reagan and Nixon. Trump’s economy doesn’t benefit majority of Americans, small businesses or start-ups. A ‘Trumpoconomy’ isn’t for those who makes less than $500,000 or own a business that makes less than one million dollars annually.

It is noteworthy to mention that whatever positive outcome in the economy during Trump’s administration was consequential to a set of events already in motion.[7] In other words, Trumps so called “business brilliance” is null and void and has “zero impact” on the US economy.[8] This is not to say things can’t or won’t get worst, this is completely possible and likely to happen given the current orange haze plaguing the nation. But as stated above, the economy is cyclical. Once a change in political power occurs there will be a shift in the American economic direction. However, until then hold on tight because we have a driver who has never driven behind the wheel before.