Americans Seemingly Did Better Economically Under Trump: An Uncomfortable Fact

During Vice President Harris and Donald Trump’s first presidential debate on ABC, moderator David Murr asked the first question: When it comes to the economy, do you believe Americans are better off than they were four years ago?

VP Harris gave a spectacularly long response and did not answer the question. She could have simply started her response with or ended it with “Yes”. Or “No”. To be fair, Donald Trump didn’t answer the question either, and he could have simply said yes and built from there. He failed an easy question.

Americans Were Better Off Economically

Trump is a lot of things — dishonest, a felon, a liar — but he is economically beneficial to many Americans, it seems. Many are perplexed by how VP Harris flayed Trump for his tariffs but is part of the Administration that kept Trump’s previous tariffs on, all while Americans drown in inflation.

Because of this, many voters are hesitant to take what VP Harris says at face value, as they should be. When the sun falls and rises, she will remain a politician. The energy of her rallies is infectious to the point voters open their wallets and ask, “How can I help?”

VP Harris has proclaimed, “We’re not going back.” But if Biden’s Administration’s refusal to remove Trump’s tariffs is any indicator, we’re not going forward either.

The Debate Problem

While many Liberals turned off their televisions with a profound sense of satisfaction after the debate, other less influenced Liberals squinted in skepticism. What is VP Harris’s plan for America? She talked about an “Opportunity Economy” for small businesses. The words sound nice. They have a nice ring to them. But what about everybody else? What about the overnight worker who just wants to be able to afford food for their children?

The bigger question is, whose side is VP Harris really on? CEOs are backing her not Trump. I understand the argument is, they’re backing her because Trump’s ideas for more tariffs are so bad, they’ll break the economy. His last tariffs didn’t. And VP Harris and Biden did nothing to get rid of the previous tariffs imposed by Trump. So, how bad could they be?

Democrats, along with Republicans, have continuously sold their constituents out to corporations. The money trails break off in various directions, ending at the front doors of Liberals and Conservatives alike. So, what is the difference?

And the Difference Is

Donald Trump, as unscrupulous as he is, has proven that, under him, people can afford food and gas. We know the Pandemic interrupted the work he was doing. As a Liberal, I also know the harm he was doing. I keep up with what happens with the Supreme Court.

But do Americans care about the Supreme Court if they themselves can’t afford bread or milk? The abortion issue is important and has been forever. So, Americans are choosing between anti-life with the ability to do better than just survive or pro-life with the inability to afford nourishing that life once it truly begins. Many Americans are choosing to eat.

The Outcome

Without a doubt, VP Harris has my support and that of many millions, but some do want to know that We the People have her support. Many voters want to know she isn’t a well-polished Trojan Horse sent to drag us into “the same old same old”, as she would put it. Although VP Harris has the support of many, some of that support has been seasoned with appropriate skepticism after that debate.

This article was written by Jermaine Reed, MFA, the Editor-in-Chief of The Reeders Block. He also works an Adjunct College Professor. Join the email list to get notifications on new blog posts and books. This article is 100% human-written. And remember, if you see an error, that’s what makes us human.