Why He’s Handing You an Anvil and Calling It a Life Vest.

LAKE GENEVA, WI - Donald Trump wants you to believe he’s saving America. He’ll shout it from his rallies, smirk into the cameras, and his diehard fans will eat it up like gospel. But let’s be honest—what he’s really doing is handing working Americans an anvil and telling them it’ll help them float.

Let’s talk about the facts.

Tariffs: The Hidden Tax You’re Already Paying

This week, Trump announced a sweeping 10% tariff on every import coming into the country, with an added 34% tariff on Chinese goods and 20% on imports from the European Union. The sales pitch is that it will protect American jobs and manufacturing. The reality? It’s a direct hit to American consumers, raising the price of almost everything we buy.

Groceries? Up.
The cost of a new smartphone? Rising by at least $150.
Auto prices? Dealers are warning of increases up to $5,000 this year because of higher costs for imported parts.
Medical supplies? Prices for essentials like insulin pens are expected to jump another 10 to 15 percent.

These tariffs aren’t punishing foreign governments. They’re punishing the American people. This is a hidden tax on the middle and working class, and Trump is hoping you don’t notice.

Tax Cuts: A Giveaway to the Wealthy, A Bill for the Rest of Us

As if the tariffs weren’t enough, Trump is now fighting to make his 2017 tax cuts permanent. If you’re one of the wealthiest five percent of Americans, this is great news—you’ll get half the benefits. For the rest of us, it’s crumbs.

These cuts aren’t free. They will add an estimated $4.6 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade. That’s a bill your children and grandchildren will be paying long after Trump has cashed in.

Labor Shortages: The Cost of Cruelty

While prices climb and debt balloons, Trump’s immigration crackdown is gutting the workforce. Farmers across the Midwest can’t find enough workers to harvest crops. Construction projects are stalling because there aren’t enough laborers to finish them. Small businesses that rely on immigrant workers are struggling to keep their doors open.

And when there aren’t enough workers, prices rise even higher. Housing costs, groceries, and basic services are all going up, not because of immigrants, but because of Trump’s deportation crusade.

The Stock Market: Investors Are Jumping Ship

Wall Street isn’t blind to this chaos. The S&P 500 is down 4.6 percent this quarter. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 1,100 points this week alone. Retirement accounts are shrinking. Small business owners are pulling back investments. Market analysts are using words like "recession" and "crisis."

People who spent decades saving for retirement are watching their nest eggs disappear because of one man’s reckless economic game.

Real People, Real Pain

This isn’t abstract policy—it’s real pain felt by real people. My neighbor’s son was laid off last week because his company can’t afford the higher costs of materials. A friend’s son just told me his rent went up by $200 a month. A close friend lost over $12,000 in her retirement account in the last month. I paid $6.49 for eggs yesterday and the price is still climbing.

Meanwhile, Trump is out there telling Americans they’ve been “liberated.”

Liberated from what? Their paychecks? Their savings? Their economic security?

The Bottom Line

Trump’s economic “strategy” is a masterclass in con artistry. He promised prosperity, but what he’s delivering is higher prices, massive debt, worker shortages, and a stock market in decline. Every policy, every announcement, every speech is designed to benefit the wealthy and powerful while the rest of us foot the bill.

It’s not leadership. It’s sabotage. And it’s time to stop pretending otherwise.