It’s Not Just Trump Who’s Dumb about Economics—It’s the GOP Generally

Discrediting Trump is an important part of every Democrat’s job. But the Republicans will keep on wrecking the economy, with or without him.

On her Substack over the weekend, Mary Trump, the good Trump (there had to be one), recalled the following word salad her uncle gurgled out on the 2024 campaign trail:

“Under the Trump economic plan, we will cut your energy prices in half. Mark it down. And you can get very angry at me if we don’t do it. Within 12 months, your energy prices will be cut in half. My plan will cut energy prices in half, or more than that, within 12 months. We will cut energy and electricity prices in half within 12 months. And that means for your homes, too. I will cut your energy and electricity prices in half within 12 months of taking office. We are going to bring energy down by 50 percent, 50 percent, 50 percent within 12 months from January 20th, which is the day we go into office.”

This is relevant to us today on two levels. The first is the more obvious: He was lying out his know-you-what without any regard for whether these words would end up being true. They just sounded good at the time, so he said them. Fifty percent in a year. Whoopee. I continue to be amazed that anyone was stupid enough to believe this con man, but let’s ponder that question another day.

The second level is more interesting—and more damning not only of Trump but of the entire Republican Party and of conservatism generally, in this country and across the world, and not just in Trump’s second term, but for all time. And that is this: There is probably some way in which Trump actually believed he could lower energy prices; maybe not by 50 percent in a year, but lower them substantially and noticeably. Why would he believe this?

He believed it because conservatives believe........

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