AI Is A Gateway To The Welfare State
October 6, 2026 |
Keith Giles
Donald Trump loves to brag about cutting taxes. He says it so often it’s practically a reflex—like blaming Obama for anything. To hear him tell it, he gave America the “biggest, most beautiful tax cut” in history, a gift-wrapped miracle for the forgotten working class.
Except it wasn’t.
It was a con.
A massive giveaway to the rich, lightly sugar-dusted with middle-class perks set to expire—because they were never the point. And now, with his return to the campaign trail, Trump’s back at it again. More promises. More cuts. And conveniently left out of the fine print? The sneaky, silent way he plans to pay for it.
Tariffs.
Not taxes. Tariffs. A word that sounds bold, patriotic, and tough on China. But here’s the dirty little secret: tariffs are taxes. Just hidden ones. And they don’t hurt China. They hurt you.
Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act slashed the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%—permanently. The wealthy got deductions for their pass-through businesses. The top 1% walked away with the lion’s share. Middle-class families? A temporary bump that fades by 2025.
And with the follow-up “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBBA) passed in 2025, Trump made those top-heavy cuts permanent while tossing in some populist crumbs—tax deductions for tips, car loans, and overtime. Red meat for the base. Raw deal for the budget.
So what happens when you gut revenue to please your donors, but still need money to run the country?
You start taxing people quietly.
Enter tariffs.
Tariffs are taxes on imports. That’s it. But instead of taxing your income directly, they jack up the price of goods at the store. Companies pass the cost down the chain, and you—yes, you, middle-class voter—end up paying more for groceries, appliances, clothes, and cars.
But it doesn’t feel like a tax. That’s the genius of it. Trump gets to say he’s cutting taxes while still pulling in billions through tariffs. The illusion is complete. He looks like a hero, but your wallet gets lighter.
It’s the prosperity gospel, reimagined for politics.
If the prosperity gospel sells you heavenly riches for earthly donations, Trump’s economic version works the same: promise blessing, deliver burden. The followers cheer. The pastors—sorry, billionaires—get paid. And when things go south, there’s always someone else to blame.
Trump doesn’t mind causing economic instability. In fact, it works in his favor. Stir the pot, create a crisis, then stand on the ruins and say, Only I can fix it. It’s less governance and more televangelism. Every campaign rally is a revival. Every budget, a love offering to the already blessed.
And if working folks are struggling under inflation, supply chain chaos, and rising costs? That’s not his fault. Blame Biden. Blame China. Blame drag queens.
There’s no coherent economic vision here—just optics and chaos. Trump slashes taxes for the rich, then uses tariffs to recoup revenue while blaming the fallout on everyone else. The result? A government that looks like it’s helping you while quietly bleeding you dry.
It’s not just dishonest. It’s deliberate.
Because the goal isn’t policy. It’s power.
Trump’s tariff grift isn’t just a financial trick—it’s a spiritual one, too. It’s the same theology that says God wants you rich, while you’re writing checks to a man with a private jet. The same logic that says Trump is fighting for you, while you pay more for eggs, tires, and cheap patio furniture.
But hey, who needs affordable goods or a functioning economy when you’ve got vengeance cosplay and flag-draped fantasy? Trump doesn’t need to fix anything. He just needs you angry enough not to notice who’s picking your pocket.
Because in the gospel of grift, salvation isn’t free—it just comes with tariffs. And like any good scam, the ones who believe the hardest always pay the most.
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