Trump wants to create a political system in which he is the undisputed leader dictating, directly or indirectly, how it operates and who it favors. Since his re-election in November 2024, he has been haphazardly trying to consolidate his power. Elon Musk, Trump’s partner so far, is advancing this self-serving agenda partially through DOGE, the unofficial and inexperienced but powerful young team endorsed by Trump to reduce or privatize government programs that benefit average and poor citizens.
Tens of thousands of federal jobs have already been eliminated. Trump’s tariffs are further undermining the economy and alienating allies. One huge effect is that the dollar may cease to be the currency that undergirds international trade and investments.
There is now a threat of an economic recession, or, worse yet, both rising unemployment and rising inflation. On top of it all, congressional Republicans are geared up to pass a budget, with Trump’s encouragement, that includes a huge tax cut that disproportionately benefits the rich and big corporations.
This post debunks Trump’s narcissistic and unfounded claim that he is one of the greatest presidents in US history and then reviews evidence on the current damage he is causing. The post will delve into these issues: (1) the tens of thousands of federal employees who have been pushed out of their jobs; (2) examples of reductions in vital federal government services; and (3) the negative effects of Trump’s tariffs. It all adds up to this: Trump and his administration pose a great threat to the US economy insofar as most people are concerns – and to US democracy.
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“Economic Idiot”
Michael Tomasky nails it when it writes, “Donald Trump Just Proved He’s an Economic Idiot” .
One of the worst presidents in US history
Fred Wertheimer disputes Trump’s claim that he is the greatest or second greatest president of all time in an article on Democracy 21, March 13 2025
Here’s some of what Wertheimer writes.
“President Donald Trump has moved swiftly in the early weeks of his second presidency with a game plan based on anger, hate, revenge, and destruction. He appears to be out to turn our democracy into an autocracy.”
“Last year, a survey of more than 150 historians ranked Trump as the worst President in American history. Trump has done nothing early in his second term to indicate the historians were wrong.
“Yet, in his address to Congress last week, Trump crowed, ‘It has been stated by many that the first month of our presidency … is the most successful in the history of our nation.’”
Wertheimer offers a glimpse at Trump’s record
-a Liar – “There’s no running list to show who is the biggest liar in history, but Trump’s reported 30,573 false and misleading statements during his first presidential term alone would probably put him in the running.”
-a convicted felon – “Trump is a failure as an American citizen. He is a criminal, convicted last year of 34 felony counts by a jury of his peers. Three additional criminal indictments were ultimately blocked from reaching trial by Trump’s election in November. In total, he faced 91 criminal charges.
-“Trump was found liable for engaging in sexual abuse and defamation by a jury of his peers. Trump owes more than $88 million to the victim, E. Jean Carroll, for two defamation judgements.
-twice impeached by the House – “Trump has repeatedly failed as a President. Trump was twice impeached by the House of Representatives, the only person in American history to suffer this infamy.
-a riot instigator – “And he became the first President to attempt a presidential coup following the 2020 election – an election he clearly lost. He incited a violent mob attack on the Capitol but failed to stop the Electoral College vote count by Congress.”
-He was found liable for fraudulently inflating his net worth for purposes of borrowing money from lenders. He was ordered to pay $355 million plus interest, which, by January, has reached $490 million. The judge said of Trump and his associates that their “complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological.”
-his companies have been sued – “His companies have filed for bankruptcy six times and his businesses have been involved in more than 4,000 legal actions, including class action lawsuits.
-Trump casinos, failures. Trump University, failure. Trump airlines, Trump mortgage company, Trump telecom, bottled water, vodka, steaks, mattresses, fragrance. All failures in the end.
-the Trump foundation – “Trump’s own Donald J. Trump Foundation was forced to dissolve for misconduct as part of a lawsuit by the New York Attorney General. Trump had to acknowledge in the case that he personally misused foundation funds. The lawsuit alleged that the non-profit Trump Foundation functioned “as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr. Trump’s business and political interests,” and had engaged in “a shocking pattern of illegality.”
-we must fight to hold him accountable and stop him – “Trump’s efforts to tear apart our government and abuse our civil servants; intimidate the media; restrict free speech; undermine the rule of law; ignore the Constitution; abuse national security; misuse law enforcement and the military; and increase the wealth of the wealthy at the expense of ordinary Americans, are dangers and abuses that must be fought at every step.”
In the end our democracy will prevail. Trump will fail, just as he repeatedly has.
Trump’s legacy will be summed up simply like this – he was the worst President in American history.
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#1 - Tens of thousands of federal employees have been pushed out of their jobs, while some have been temporarily reinstated.
New York Time’s journalists, Elena Shao and Ashley Wu, provide some estimates as of March 28 (updated to April 8)
Confirmed cuts* At least 56,230
Employees who took buyouts About 75,000
More planned reductions At least 146,320
Tens of thousands of employees across the federal government have left their jobs, been put on leave or been fired as a part of the government-gutting initiative of the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk. Federal agencies have been directed to make plans to reduce their work forces even further.
Confirmed reduction so far, by agency
U.S. Agency for International Development More than 99%
Voice of America (U.S. Agency for Global Media) More than 99%
Education 46%
Health and Human Services 24%
Energy 13%
Internal Revenue Service (Treasury) 13%
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 12%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Commerce) 11%
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 10%
National Science Foundation 10%
Note: Offices or agencies with less than 200 employees at the beginning of the year are not shown here.
Shao and Wu point out, “Based on the latest available information, reductions could affect at least 12 percent of the 2.4 million civilian federal workers — a number that could grow as more of the agencies’ plans come into focus.”
Jobs outside, as well as inside, of the government are not easy to find
Giulia Carbonaro looks at the evidence in a Newsweek article, April 8, 2025
She writes: “Federal workers who have lost their jobs as part of recent mass layoffs recommended by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are being thrown into a ‘brutally competitive’ job market, experts told Newsweek.
“‘This is not your normal 'let's start looking for a job' situation,’ said Amanda Goodall, a self-proclaimed "labor market nerd," career coach and founder of The Job Chick.
A key point: "To be blunt, it's a brutally competitive job market right now, and that was before we had more than 200,000 federal workers flood the private sector," she [Goodall] told Newsweek. "Is the job market going to be tough for federal workers? You bet it is."
Why It Matters
“Thousands of federal workers have been fired as part of President Donald Trump's administration's efforts to shrink the ‘bloated" federal government, as the president described it, though the precise number remains unknown, ‘as plans shift and regulatory and legal challenges to some changes continue to unfold,’ Indeed Economist Allison Shrivastava told Newsweek.
“Many of those abruptly laid off are now looking for a new job, with Indeed reporting a 50 percent surge in job applications from federal workers between January and February. This dramatic spike in job search activity from former federal employees is likely to continue as DOGE carries on with slashing funds and scrapping contracts across the federal government.
“Federal workers who have lost their jobs are being thrown into a ‘brutally competitive’ job market, experts told Newsweek.”
Carbonaro again quotes Goodall, “‘there are not enough job openings in the market to reabsorb all the federal workers that have been laid off in recent months, ‘not even close.’”
Why finding a job may be difficult
"Absorbing displaced federal workers and contractors may prove to be a challenge for a job market that is frozen by uncertainty, especially in knowledge-work sectors where employer demand remains low."
“‘You have all these accountants and lawyers and scientists in the federal workforce who are potentially very useful for the private sector, and those people should find jobs relatively easily,’ Christopher Herpfer, assistant professor of finance at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, told Newsweek.
“‘But you have people that are older who have been within the government for 20-30 years and who are very specialized. Those people would find it much harder to integrate into the private labor market.’"
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#2 – An example of reductions in vital federal government services
The reductions are, or are planned, across the board, even on Veteran’s health care programs and Social Security. Here the focus is on health care programs for lower-income people.
Health Care
Eleanor J. Bader reports in an article for Truthout, April 6, 2025, there are over 79 million in US at medical risk .
The risk stems from the planned cuts to Medicaid and CHIP that “will put more than 79 million people at medical risk.” But resistance is mounting.
“Kelly Smith, a 57-year-old New York City resident, is part of the Nonviolent Medicaid Army (NVMA), a growing national movement of poor people who are organizing to stop proposed cuts to Medicaid and promote health care as a human right.
“The need for health care unites us all,” Smith told Truthout. “Right now, I’m terrified of losing Medicaid and being unable to get injections for pain control.
“‘They’re the only thing that makes it possible for me to be on my game.’
“Nonetheless, she says that her health is somewhat fragile. Not only is she a breast cancer survivor, but she also has severe scoliosis and takes medication for hypertension, high cholesterol and depression — all covered by Medicaid.
“That this coverage might end or be reduced — a real possibility if Congress approves pending budget cuts to satisfy DOGE and the Trump administration — terrifies her and other members of the NVMA. Their work is twofold: They are mobilizing against recently announced threats to curtail Medicaid while also organizing to ensure that health care is recognized as a human right.
“‘We’re organizing call-in days to tell lawmakers our stories and let them know the value of Medicaid in our lives. We’re also attending town halls,’ Smith said.
“A new Gallup survey finds 11 percent of US adults can’t access quality care and can’t pay for care or medicine.
Bader writes: “We have to eliminate the shame associated with disability and poverty.” A lot is at stake.
“According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Medicaid currently covers 72.1 million people. The program was first established in 1965 as part of the ‘war on poverty,’ and was initially meant to provide health care to recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children, a welfare program. In the 60 years since, it has expanded to cover low-income children and adults as well as those living in nursing homes or in need of home care.” The program now is responsible for financing by Medicaid 41 percent of births, including “1 in 6 adults aged 19-64, 2 in 3 nursing home residents and 1 in 3 adults with disabilities got their health care through a Medicaid program.”
“Children also benefit. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) extended health coverage to families deemed over-income for Medicaid but still too poor to buy private health insurance. As of October 2024, more than 7 million children were enrolled.
“All told, Medicaid and CHIP serve more than 79 million U.S. residents. And while these programs vary by state, as a joint federal-state partnership, the programs ensure that low-income children and adults have at least minimal access to care.
It costs a lot: “between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024, the government spent more than $860 billion, not including administrative costs, on Medicaid programs.” Elon Musk’s DOGE wants to slash the program and used the savings
to finance tax cuts of $1.1 trillion, money that will benefit only the wealthiest 1 percent of the country — giving an average annual tax break of $62,000 to those with incomes of $743,000 or more through 2034.”
The cuts will be harmful for the poor and working-class people.
Here is one of Bader’s examples. “Sheila Bingham of Little Rock, Arkansas, will also be negatively impacted if the cuts come to fruition. The 47-year-old receives both Medicare and Medicaid and is being treated for a rare cancer, debilitating migraines, type 2 diabetes, erratic blood pressure and intense pain. ‘I rely on Medicaid to pay my Medicare premium of $106 a month,’ she told Truthout. ‘I won’t survive if they start taking this out of my $1,400 disability check.’”
Resistance to Medicaid cuts is rising.
All is not lost yet. “Already, groups including the National Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, The Council of State Governments, the National Association of Counties and the National Conference of State Legislators have told federal lawmakers that they oppose rollbacks of medical coverage. Similarly, the National Medicaid in Schools Coalition, a group of 65 organizations, has written a letter to Congress stressing that ‘children cannot learn to their fullest potential with unmet health needs.’ The coalition adds that services to special education students — including occupational, physical and speech therapy; mental health counseling; and adaptive equipment — are often paid for by Medicaid. ‘A 2023 Congressional Budget Office analysis found that just one extra year of Medicaid coverage during childhood leads to higher earnings and better productivity as an adult, boosting the nation’s economy,’ the letter notes.
“Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told Truthout that in addition to stressing the value of Medicaid in keeping people healthy, the public needs to be reminded that Medicaid is an insurance program for people who need it. ‘Politicians who brand it as a program for low-income people who are unwilling to work are incorrect. The American people need to be armed with facts. Medicaid cuts will make more people sick, will make more people die and will close more rural hospitals,’ he said.”
The dubious notion of work requirements for Medicaid recipients.
Bader refers again to Benjamin. “Work requirements for Medicaid recipients, another idea being floated by the GOP, are also flawed, Benjamin adds. ‘The real goal of work requirements is to kick people off the rolls. These are people who are already struggling, those with the least money and the least internet access, making it hard for them to complete the required paperwork.” In addition, approximately two-thirds of Medicaid recipients are already working, he adds, with those who are not likely exempt because of age or infirmity.’
“Then there’s the idea that the state-federal funding balance should shift to make states pay a higher percentage of Medicaid costs. ‘Poor states, many of them red, receive a bigger match from the feds,’ Benjamin said. ‘If the feds reduce the amount they give to the states, many will have to either raise taxes or reduce services.’”
“What’s more, he says that many health centers, particularly those in remote, rural areas, operate on a shoestring budget. ‘Many are two or three weeks away from not making payroll,’ Benjamin reports. The likely result? The closure of clinics, hospitals and health centers in already underserved areas.”
This article is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), and you are free to share and republish under the terms of the license.
Eleanor J. Bader is a Brooklyn, New York-based freelance writer who focuses on domestic social issues and resistance movements. In addition to Truthout, she writes for The Progressive, Ms. Magazine, Lilith, The Indypendent, New Pages and other progressive blogs and print publications.
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#3 - The negative effects of Trump’s tariffs
Trump justified his imposition of tariffs by arguing that tariffs would eventually lower the national debt and encourage the expansion of manufacturing. John Nichols responds, as many others have, that “tariffs will not renew US manufacturing in an article published by The Nation on April 7, 2025 Here’s some of what Nichols writes.
“With no evidence to back up his claims, Trump campaigned on the promise that across-the-board tariffs—applied with casual disregard for the realities of globalized manufacturing systems on which US and foreign industries now rely—would reopen shuttered American factories.
“The ploy worked. Plenty of working-class voters in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, who were desperate for new economic policies, embraced his candidacy.
“Yet Trump never bothered to learn the first thing about how tariffs work. As a result, as he announced a sweeping program of tariffs on countries all over the world last week, he did not just destabilize the American economy and cause one of the most dramatic stock market selloffs in US history. He advanced the lie that simply slapping tariffs on US trading partners is going to put people back to work in Janesville, Wisconsin, and Youngstown, Ohio, and Tonawanda, New York, and the steel towns of western Pennsylvania.
Nichols continues. “To actually revitalize those areas, explains Democratic US Representative Chris Deluzio, an Iraq War veteran, voting rights attorney, and union organizer who represents the historic manufacturing region around Pittsburgh, requires a dramatically smarter approach—and a dramatically more pro-worker approach than that of politicians like Trump who for too long have done the bidding of Wall Street speculators.”
Deluzio is calling for “an industrial policy that is rooted in respect for American workers and the communities where they live, as opposed to Trump’s political gamesmanship and outright lies, the ‘free trade’ fantasies of the speculators, and the race-to-the-bottom mentality of multinational corporations. It’s important to listen to members of Congress like Deluzio, who actually know what they are talking about, as opposed to the political posers who have jumped into the debate from all sides with political sloganeering—rather than facts and experience on the ground in working-class communities.
“Deluzio explained on Wednesday, after Trump announced 10 percent tariffs on countries around the world, as well as individualized reciprocal tariffs on countries that have trade deficits with the US:
“‘I want to be clear about what I support and what I don’t: I support using tariffs as a tool against bad actors and trade cheats—like Communist China. I support using tariffs strategically alongside muscular industrial and pro-worker policies to protect American jobs and consumers. And I support renegotiating—aggressively—trade deals like the USMCA [United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement] to get the best possible deal for hardworking Americans like us in Western Pennsylvania.’”
Trump’s trade approach “has been chaotic, inconsistent, and incomplete: you need more than just tariffs to rebalance trade and kickstart American manufacturing. And we should not treat close economic allies like Canada the same as mercantilist trade cheats like China. Moreover, American workers and consumers should not be the ones paying for the necessary transition away from a broken trade system; the businesses that profiteered from that old regime should bear the cost. The President has the power to stop corporations from using the cover of tariffs to price gouge people—why won’t he use it?”
US Representative Mark Pocan, a Wisconsin Democrat, “who has always been an advocate for policies that benefit workers in the US, reminds us, ‘Trump’s across-the-board tariffs are simply taxes on the average American.’ We need to see ill-thought tariffs as Trump is now implementing them not as pro-worker policies, explains Pocan, but as ‘taxes you and I will pay cover the cost of the $4.5 trillion tax cut for his billionaire buddies like Elon Musk.’”
“‘The saddest thing about Trump’s incoherent tariff policy is it will betray the working-class voters who have seen 90,000 factories shut down [under failed trade policies],” says Khanna, a tech-savvy economic realist who recognizes that, while targeted tariffs can benefit specific industries in specific circumstances, Trump’s across-the-board tariffs are a destructive, blunt instrument backed up by false promises. “The left does not need to embrace economic nonsense to rebuild,” he says. “FDR rejected high tariffs and relied on massive domestic investment.”
“What’s needed, say those who understand the steps that must be taken to build a pro-worker, pro-community American manufacturing economy, is an economic focus that rejects the empty promises of Donald Trump, and understands that, as Khanna says, ‘What we need is smart trade, strategic trade, not tantrum trade!’”
Concluding thoughts
With the substantial help from Elon Musk and his DOGE team, Trump has sat by while many thousands of federal workers have lost their jobs or now find themselves in a position where they don’t know whether they have a job in the federal government or not. Trump’s policies have alienated countries with his “beautiful” tariffs, with as the prospect of generating havoc in the global economy. The dollar, as a currency that is widely used in international trade, is now in question. Trump has “paused” many of his tariffs (though not on China). He apparently isn’t given up on the tariff approach to the economy.
Meanwhile, Trump talks about a third presidential term and about his imperialistic designs on Greenland, Panama, and even Canada.
Amidst all this, polls find consumers and more and more citizens are opposed or wary of what he is doing.