As per a recent analysis by NBC News, Donald Trump has verbally attacked President Joe Biden over 580 times. All of this has gone down during Trump’s first hundred days as a non-president. To do this, he just needs to continue beating the Biden drum. Simultaneously, he attempts to distract from the economic pain inflicted by his own policies. Trump is threatening again, this time trying to blame tariffs for inflation. At the same time, he is under greater examination for how all of his decisions are affecting during his presidency.
In previous weeks, Trump has made similar threats to fire intelligence analysts. This follows last week’s testimony by the intelligence community that the Tren de Aragua crime syndicate operates without ties to the Maduro regime in Venezuela. This response serves as a clear example of his unwillingness to accept any negative assessments that go against his chosen narrative. Trump’s strategy seems to be a preemptive strike to keep himself in command of the story about the biggest predicament he faces today.
He thinks deepening cuts to the National Weather Service will keep him safe from hurricane-force economic storms. The legacy of his significant previous decisions is coming into focus with each passing day. His transfer of health policies to controversial figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. further complicates his standing in the public eye.
Fast forward to today, and it’s Trump who’s complaining about the first signs of a comeback inflation and rising prices. In doing so, he is attempting to pull the rug out from under the economic challenges. Rather than take responsibility for their effects on the American consumer, he misleadingly states that tariffs are paid by foreign importers. This mischaracterization is indicative of a dangerous trend. Accompanied with this is his own frequent scapegoating of others, like Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, for issues that come from his own failed policy.
Trump’s continued faith in his economic magic tricks is very stubborn indeed, given the evidence piling up against him. He imposed draconian tariffs that experts say risks sparking a stagflation such as that which Americans suffered through in the 1970s. His ongoing trade war is depressing prospects for the US trucking industry. It had previously been forecasted to recover in 2025, but that is no longer the case.
Case in point, just last week Trump said, “Almost all of it agree[s] that the Fed should be lowering rates [sooner] rather than later. He underscored the bipartisan agreement on this topic. He’s right to push for cuts, but the nature of his insistence reflects an urge for short-term relief. Now he’s facing strong economic headwinds.
Yet in a breathtaking double standard, Trump has criticized Powell’s measured approach toward interest rates. He mocked him as “Too Late Powell” and implied that Powell is doomed once again to screw up the economy. Plus, Trump said, “instead of having 30 dolls, the kids will have maybe two dolls. Which means both dolls may end up retailing a few dollars more than similar dolls would usually retail for.” This dismissive comment shows a cavalier attitude toward the consequences of inflation on the average American.
At this point, Trump’s rhetoric has moved past begging for mercy and gone all the way to threatening private companies. He called on companies such as Walmart and Chinese manufacturers to EAT THE TARIFFS. Further, he maintained they ought to be taking the increased costs themselves, rather than shifting them to consumers. “I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!” he declared, highlighting his combative stance as he confronts the fallout of his own decisions.
Jerome Powell, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, knows this too, saying, “we are in an exceptionally uncertain environment today…” As he observed, “Higher real rates might indicate that going-forward inflation might be more variable than in the inter-crisis period of the 2010s. Predicting a new era of more frequent supply shocks, he called for robust industrial policy to maintain U.S. competitiveness on critical supply chains. These challenges would be difficult for the economy and central banks to navigate.
Trump’s cavalier attitude towards these monumental economic headwinds is leading all to wonder how—if at all—he plans to manage in this difficult Chinese economic environment. His psychological equilibrium appears increasingly to depend on denying any responsibility for the ugly, destructive reality that has unfolded on his watch. This dynamic reveals a troubling aspect of his tenure: a refusal to engage with accountability while navigating an increasingly complex economic landscape.