Why Trump’s Tariff Plan Is Like Putting a Tax on Your Own Lunch (And Thinking You’re a Genius for It)

Okay, so Donald Trump—you know, the guy who says he’s a genius because he "has the best people" around him (translation: people who agree with him no matter what)—is back at it again with a new plan to “save” the economy. And guess what his big idea is?

Tariffs. Lots and lots of tariffs.

Sounds fancy, right? Like some smart government word? But don’t be fooled—tariffs are just a sneaky way of saying “Let’s make stuff more expensive for Americans and pretend we’re punishing other countries.”

Let’s break it down so even Trump’s advisors (a.k.a. “yes men,” “stooges,” and “guys who nod while he talks about boats”) could understand it… if they ever bothered to try.

Tariffs in the Good Old Days? Not So Great, Actually.

Trump loves to talk about how things were “better” from 1789 to 1913, when the U.S. used tariffs (taxes on imported goods) to make money instead of income taxes. He says America was “the wealthiest it’s ever been.”

Sounds awesome, right?

Except that’s not exactly true.

Back then:

• The government was tiny—no Social Security, no Medicare, no military that could fly a jet to your house in ten minutes.

• Poor people got hit the hardest by tariffs because they had to pay higher prices on basic stuff.

• There were no protections for workers, kids were working in coal mines, and rich people basically ran everything (okay, so not much has changed there…).

So yes, the country had money—but only because it wasn’t spending it on things people actually need. That’s like bragging your piggy bank is full because you never bought food or clothes. Cool story, bro.

The Last Time Tariffs Got Out of Control, the World Fell Apart

In the 1930s, America decided to raise tariffs on a bunch of stuff. It was called the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which sounds like a law passed by two old-timey Muppets who hate fun.

And guess what happened?

• Other countries got mad and raised tariffs too.

• American businesses lost customers overseas.

• The Great Depression got even worse.

It was like trying to stop a house fire by throwing gasoline on it and saying, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

Now Trump wants to do something similar—but bigger. He wants a 10% tax on all imported stuff and a 60% tax on goods from China. That’s like charging someone a $6 fee to buy a $10 cheeseburger and then acting surprised when they walk out and eat somewhere else.

Who Actually Pays These Tariffs? (Spoiler: It’s You)

Here’s the fun part: when Trump says he’s “taxing China,” he’s actually just taxing you—the regular American buying clothes, phones, food, and cars.

Companies don’t just absorb the extra cost. They pass it on to the customers.

That means:

• Prices go up.

• Wages stay the same.

• And nobody’s happy (except maybe the super-rich, who don’t notice if bananas cost $1 or $5).

  
  

Trump’s Tax Cuts Helped… Rich People. Shocking, Right?

Let’s not forget Trump’s other big idea,tax cuts. He said they’d help everyone. But:

• Big corporations and rich people got most of the benefit.

• Middle- and lower-class people got small, temporary help.

• The U.S. racked up $1.5 trillion in debt.

So to sum up:

• He gave the rich a bonus.

• He taxed everyone else with tariffs.

• And he calls this a “brilliant economic plan.”

What’s Happening Now (and Why It Could Get Worse)

Right now, Since Trump is back in office he is going to push tariffs like a kid smashing buttons on an arcade machine, we will likely see:

• Higher prices on pretty much everything

• Other countries punishing U.S. businesses

• Slower economic growth

• Bigger debt problems

  
  

And while the billionaires will be lounging around, sipping champagne in their tax-free hideouts, the middle class will be suffer.

Trump’s tariff agenda is built on the idea that by making imported goods more expensive, Americans will be forced to “Buy American.” On paper, this might sound like a patriotic move—a tough-guy strategy to bring jobs home and restore domestic industry. But in practice, it reflects a deep misunderstanding of how modern global supply chains work.

Many American-made products still rely heavily on imported components—raw materials, microchips, textiles, machinery. Punishing those imports doesn’t magically create self-sufficiency; it simply raises costs across the board, even for businesses trying to build things here.

Worse, the U.S. has spent the past four decades systematically outsourcing its manufacturing base in the name of lower costs and higher profits. Companies offshored production to cut labor expenses, dodge regulations, and boost margins. This was the engine of late-stage capitalism—minimizing costs at all costs, including the destruction of domestic manufacturing infrastructure.

Trump’s assumption that we can simply turn that ship around by taxing imports is naïve at best, economically reckless at worst. Rebuilding domestic industry will take years—if not decades—and would require massive investments in labor, infrastructure, training, and innovation.

And even if, hypothetically, companies did decide to “come home,” there’s a glaring problem: they don’t want to pay living wages. Corporate America’s track record is clear—they want the profits of globalization without the responsibility of fair labor. Expecting these same companies to suddenly offer good wages, benefits, and job security—while still remaining profitable—isn’t just optimistic. It’s delusional. If the middle class is expected to absorb years of inflation and economic turbulence while waiting for this hypothetical industrial renaissance, the real question becomes: can they even survive that long?

Trump Thinks He’s Smart Because Everyone Around Him Says So

You know that one kid in class who gets everything wrong but still brags he’s the smartest because his friends keep hyping him up? That’s Trump.

He surrounds himself with yes-men who tell him every idea he has is genius—even when it’s clearly nonsense. That’s how you end up with a grown man shouting “Tariffs are good!” while the rest of the world looks at us like, “Is this guy for real?”

In the end, this isn’t just about Trump being wrong. It’s about him being proudly wrong, while regular people end up paying the price—for his ego, his bad memory of history, and his love for dumb ideas dressed up as tough talk.

If that’s what genius looks like… we’re gonna need a refund.