HOW TO REPAIR THE ECONOMY

Trump’s Dictator’s Playbook: Wreck the Economy, Claim to Rebuild It

Economic chaos is not an accident under Donald Trump. It is the strategy. Throughout history, dictators have learned that a population reeling from financial collapse becomes easier to manipulate. When jobs vanish, prices soar, and households struggle, the strongman steps forward with a single promise: Only I can fix it.

Trump has studied that playbook, and his allies, Stephen Miller and the Heritage Foundation, and their sprawling “Project 2025,” have written it into policy. Trump is merely the messenger, executing the design.

The Twin Engines of Sabotage

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell recently outlined the precarious state of the U.S. economy. But what he did not say outright is that two of the most significant drivers of instability are deliberate creations of Trump’s policies:

1. Tariffs – Trump’s unnecessary and sweeping tariffs have fueled inflation. By raising the cost of imported goods, tariffs ripple through the supply chain, distorting prices and creating market unpredictability. Inflation is not just painful at the checkout counter; it undermines investment and consumer confidence.
2. Immigration Restrictions – Trump’s assault on immigration is shrinking the labor pool. Farmers, construction companies, tech firms, and service industries struggle to fill jobs. With fewer workers, wages climb unsustainably, supply shrinks, and inflation worsens. Instead of stabilizing the economy, Trump has engineered labor shortages to inflame division and claim victimhood.

Correcting both policies, ending tariffs, and restoring rational immigration would immediately boost the economy. But Trump’s aim is not correction. Crisis is.

A Dangerous Collision with Artificial Intelligence

The stakes are higher than another inflation cycle. America is entering a technological transformation unlike any before: artificial intelligence. AI will challenge our economic systems, strain labor markets, and require unprecedented infrastructure, education, and regulation investment. Meeting those challenges demands a strong, resilient economy.

Instead, Trump’s policies are designed to weaken the very foundations we will rely on. A nation stumbling under inflation and labor shortages will not be equipped to harness AI responsibly. Instead of leading the world in this revolution, we risk being undone.

The Real Plan: Authoritarian Power

This is why the economic argument cannot be separated from the political one. Trump’s sabotage of the economy is not incompetence; it is intent. The chaos lays the groundwork for dictatorship. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 makes this clear: strip the government of expertise, dismantle guardrails, and concentrate power in the hands of a leader who claims only he can fix the mess.

If Americans allow themselves to believe the lie that Trump’s destruction is salvation, we risk losing not only our prosperity but our democracy.

A Narrow Path Forward

The remedy is obvious, though difficult: reject tariffs, restore rational immigration, and stabilize the economy to prepare for the AI future. However, Trump will not do this, as it is contrary to his game plan. The responsibility lies with citizens, lawmakers, and leaders who still value democracy to act, not later, but now.

If we fail, the consequence will not be just higher store prices or longer wait times for workers. It will be the loss of our freedom under the shadow of dictatorship, all while we stand unprepared for the most significant technological shift of our time.

William James Spriggs