Trump says his tariff revenues will both pay down America’s $37 trillion debt and possibly fund a public “dividend,” but Treasury data shows they fall short of even covering monthly interest costs.

In exclusive interviews with Fortune, Wharton’s Professor Joao Gomes and AEI’s Desmond Lachman warned that while tariffs may slow debt growth, they won’t meaningfully reduce it.

Markets are largely skeptical of Trump’s math despite some unconventional revenue wins.

  • A Slightly Orange Cat@mstdn.social
    62·
    2 days ago

    @MicroWave Trump and his surrogates have said at different times that tariffs would (A) pay down the national debt and (B) increase domestic manufacturing.

    But if (B) happens, then tariff revenue falls. And if (A) happens, it will mean manufacturing remained overseas.

    These goals are perfectly contradictory.

    • watson@sopuli.xyz
      1·
      1 day ago

      Purposefully. The goal is to destroy any faith in a functional government so it’ll be easier to absorb more power and steal everything they can.