After Donald Trump won the election, one of his main talking points was always about the economy—yet, lately, he’s been quiet on the topic. So, what’s going on?
James Downie, a columnist from MSNBC, has an interesting take. He suggests that Trump’s sudden silence on the economy could mean one thing: He’s not so sure his policies will do better than President Joe Biden’s economic record.
Here’s why: Biden’s been bringing some good news to the table. Just last week, the U.S. added 256,000 jobs in December. The unemployment rate is down to 4.1%, and wages grew by 3.9% for the year. Inflation is holding steady at under 3%, and economic growth is still going strong.
Downie points out that the “good news” is actually a challenge for Trump. During his campaign, he promised that once he was in office, prices would drop “fast.” But with the economy doing well under Biden, it makes it harder for Trump to explain how his plans would be any different.
In fact, Trump already backed off his bold promise to lower prices quickly. And some of his proposed policies—like tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico—could actually make things worse. While Trump claims he “can’t guarantee” that his tariffs won’t raise prices, it’s clear that adding them to his other priorities, like tax cuts and mass deportations, might lead to higher costs in the long run. Economists are seeing the red flags, and the financial markets aren’t so optimistic either.
But here’s where it gets interesting: When Kamala Harris was vice president, many swing voters were unhappy with rising prices. Downie suggests that Democrats need to make sure voters understand who’s truly responsible if prices keep climbing during Trump’s second term.
So, as we head into the midterms, Downie makes a clear point: Democrats need a simple message. Higher unemployment? Trump’s fault. Housing too expensive? Trump’s fault. Groceries too pricey? Trump’s fault. If Trump wants credit for everything, he should also take the blame for everything.
It’s time for the Democrats to agree on an economic platform and make sure everyone knows who’s in charge of the economy going forward.
What do you think? Would Trump’s policies make a real difference in the economy, or are we already seeing the challenges ahead? Let us know your thoughts!
