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The “Liberation Day” Debacle
U.S. manufacturing, traditionally viewed as a pathway to the middle class for workers without college degrees, has declined under President Trump, particularly after the administration’s April 2025 announcement of “Liberation Day,” which imposed symbolic tariffs on nearly every country. Since January 2025, 49,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost, and 58,000 were lost between April and September. Despite the administration’s stated goal of reviving American manufacturing by imposing tariffs, U.S. manufacturers are struggling to cope with rising costs. The decline in manufacturing shows no signs of slowing down. A private estimate of job losses by ADP Research revealed that an additional 18,000 manufacturing jobs were lost in November alone. In Lexington, Nebraska, Tyson Foods’ announcement of the closure of a plant employing about one-third of the city’s population perfectly illustrates this disaster. As residents panic over the economic fallout for the entire city, MS Now found a Trump supporter on the side of the road asking for money.
When asked what he thought of President Trump’s comments on the “accessibility hoax,” he said, “I believe in everything Donald Trump does.” For nearly a decade, we’ve grown accustomed to this type of ambush interview with MAGA voters. And the default response was to tell us to wait and see and let Trump handle things as he sees fit. The idea that the president had been held back during his first term by the Democrats, the Republicans, the Supreme Court, government experts, and even that pesky Constitution was just MAGA’s way of moving the goalposts. Yeah, he could do whatever he wanted when we gave him nearly unlimited power. And Trump got exactly that last January. Not only did he prove his critics wrong with a political comeback for the ages, but he also led the Republicans to control of both houses of Congress, inherited a very sympathetic and conservative Supreme Court, and a Cabinet full of people who can’t say no to him.
Liberation Day. What an ironic name. Liberation from what, exactly? Jobs? Economic security? Hope? Those tariffs that were supposed to save American industry have done exactly the opposite. 58,000 manufacturing jobs have vanished since April. And Trump continues to claim victory. He keeps promising that tomorrow will be better. That next year will be different. But how many tomorrows will it take before his voters realize that there is no better tomorrow with him?
Tariffs That Kill Jobs
Trump’s tariffs have risen to levels not seen in nearly a century, with the result that American consumers are now paying higher prices for imported goods and American manufacturers are struggling with higher costs, which in many cases end up being passed on to the consumer. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that the tariffs will cost each household an average of $1,700 per year. On top of existing price trends, researchers estimated that, from the start of the tariff announcements in March through November, prices rose by an additional 9.2 percent for coffee, tea, and cocoa; 5.5 percent for fruit; 5.6 percent for large household appliances; 6.2 percent for meat; and 2 percent for pharmaceuticals, compared to the price trend established before the tariffs were imposed, from October 2024 to March 2025. These price increases directly affect working-class families, who spend a larger portion of their income on basic necessities.
The administration has raised tariffs to levels not seen in nearly a century, with the result that American consumers are now paying higher prices for imported goods and American manufacturers are struggling with higher costs, which in many cases are ultimately passed on to the consumer. Prices for basic goods such as food and household appliances have all risen due to the tariffs. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that the tariffs will cost each household an average of $1,700 per year. On top of existing price trends, researchers estimated that, from the time the tariffs were first announced in March through November, prices rose by an additional 9.2 percent for coffee, tea, and cocoa; 5.5 percent for fruit; 5.6 percent for major appliances; 6.2 percent for meat; and 2 percent for pharmaceuticals, compared to the price trend established before the tariffs were imposed, from October 2024 to March 2025.
$1,700 a year. For a family earning $40,000, that’s a huge amount. It’s a month’s rent. It’s three months’ worth of groceries. It’s the difference between making ends meet and falling into hardship. And Trump calls this a victory. He calls it “America First.” But for whom, exactly? Certainly not for those who elected him. Certainly not for those who believed in his promises. No, “America First” is for the rich. For his friends. For his family. Everyone else can wait.
Section 3: Wage Stagnation and Rampant Inflation
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Wages That Are Falling Behind
Although President Trump inherited an economy with high levels of real wage growth for the working class in January, wage growth has slowed this year for workers without a college degree. In January 2025, real wages for all workers were rising at an annual rate of 2.1 percent. But wage growth has slowed for the working class since January, with wage growth falling by 0.5 percentage points for workers with a high school diploma or less and by 0.7 percentage points for workers with associate’s degrees through September. Real wage growth has declined because workers’ wages are not rising as quickly while inflation remains high. Even though wage growth has slowed, the Trump administration claims that the “Trump effect” is leading to higher wages for American workers. In media appearances, administration officials frequently cite wage figures that fail to acknowledge that growth has slowed or, in some cases, do not account for inflation.
Data throughout 2025 on employment, wage growth, and the cost of living—such as electricity and household goods—tell a story of the working class’s struggle: the loss of 361,000 jobs previously held by working-class people and the loss of 58,000 manufacturing jobs since the announcement of the “Liberation Day” tariffs, slowing wage growth, higher electricity bills, and rising prices for food and other essentials. Since the Trump administration took office in January, 361,000 fewer workers without a college degree are employed. Although more than 750,000 jobs have been created for workers with college degrees so far in 2025, the working class as a whole has lost hundreds of thousands of jobs, and the least-educated workers have borne the brunt of the job losses. Is the economy growing and is the stock market rising? Yes, but who is spending money and investing? The wealthy. The richest 10 percent of Americans are driving this economy. Everyone else is cutting back on spending.
Wage growth is slowing. Inflation remains high. And Trump talks about a “Trump effect” on wages. What effect exactly? The effect of seeing one’s purchasing power decline? The effect of working harder to earn less? The effect of seeing one’s dreams slip a little further out of reach each month? This “Trump effect” is one of disillusionment. Of betrayal. Of broken promises. And yet, they continue to wait. To believe. To tell themselves that tomorrow will be different.
Electricity Costs Weighing Down Budgets
Even as employment and wage growth for working-class people have declined, the costs of living—such as electricity and food prices—are rising. From January through August 2025—the most recent month for which data is available—the real prices consumers pay for residential electricity rose by more than 9 percent. Although the national average for residential electricity prices tends to be higher in the summer than in the winter, prices in August 2025 are still 3.1 percent higher than those in August 2024 after adjusting for inflation, and analysts have projected an average annual increase of $100 in electricity bills alone for U.S. households in 2025. The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that real prices next year will be even higher. These price increases directly impact working-class families, who spend a larger portion of their income on necessities such as electricity.
Prices for basic goods such as food and household appliances have all risen due to tariffs. The administration has raised tariffs to levels not seen in nearly a century, with the result that American consumers are now paying higher prices for imported goods and American manufacturers are struggling with higher costs, which in many cases are ultimately passed on to the consumer. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that tariffs will cost each household an average of $1,700 per year. In addition to existing price trends, researchers estimated that, from the start of the tariff announcements in March through November, prices rose by an additional 9.2 percent for coffee, tea, and cocoa; by 5.5 percent for fruit; by 5.6 percent for large household appliances; by 6.2 percent for meat; and by 2 percent for pharmaceuticals—compared to the price trend established before the tariffs were imposed, from October 2024 to March 2025.
A 9 percent increase in electricity rates. An extra $100 a year. For some, that’s nothing. For others, it’s everything. It’s the choice between heating your home or feeding your children. Between paying the electricity bill or buying medicine. And Trump? He talks about economic growth. About a rising stock market. About victory. But whose victory is this? Not for those who count every dollar. Not for those who wonder how they’re going to pay the next bill.
Section 4: The Wars Nobody Wanted
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America First Becomes America Everywhere
It’s time for middle-class and working-class MAGA voters to realize that “America First” has put MAGA voters last. MAGA voters wanted to end the endless wars. This year’s military actions in Venezuela, Nigeria, Syria, and Yemen tell a different story. MAGA voters wanted to stop sending aid to foreign countries and are now trying to explain why Israel, Argentina, and even Ukraine are receiving billions. The bailout of Argentina was particularly egregious because it ultimately hurt American farmers, leading to the need for $12 billion in government aid. That $12 billion, by the way, doesn’t even cover the losses farmers suffered because of Trump. MAGA voters voted for Trump to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, only to discover that, once again, Trump has no healthcare plan. Or perhaps the plan all along was to let premiums skyrocket for MAGA voters so that his family and friends could line their pockets.
President Trump and the White House tout the “Trump effect” on the economy and claim that workers are doing well under his leadership. But the facts clearly show that the working class is suffering under the Trump administration, and without job creation, strong wage growth, or robust worker protections, the administration’s actions will leave the working class defenseless against further increases in the cost of living. MAGA voters were right to criticize members of Congress for lining their own pockets while in office. But “draining the swamp” has been very lucrative for the Trump family—to the tune of $3 billion. There are only so many ways you can be taken for a ride before you have to admit you’ve been duped. I know, the alternative was worse, wasn’t it? When I look at food prices, I tell myself that at least I don’t have to listen to Kamala Harris’s laughter. But MAGA voters had a very good alternative. Heck, they had two good alternatives.
Venezuela. Nigeria. Syria. Yemen. Military strikes everywhere. Billions sent abroad. And what about the MAGA voters who wanted to end the endless wars? They watch, powerless, as their champion does exactly the opposite of what he promised. “America First” was a lie. An empty slogan. A hollow promise. And while Trump sends billions to Argentina, while he funds wars that nobody wants, his voters are still waiting for their turn. A turn that will never come.
The Bailout That Betrayed Farmers
The bailout of Argentina was particularly egregious because it ultimately hurt American farmers, leading to the need for $12 billion in government aid. That $12 billion, by the way, doesn’t even cover the losses farmers suffered because of Trump. MAGA voters voted for Trump to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, only to discover that, once again, Trump has no healthcare plan. Or perhaps the plan all along was to let premiums skyrocket for MAGA voters so that his family and friends could line their pockets. MAGA voters were right to criticize members of Congress for lining their own pockets while in office. But “draining the swamp” has been very lucrative for the Trump family—to the tune of $3 billion. There are only so many ways you can be taken for a ride before you have to admit you’ve been duped.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley would both have been far better choices for MAGA voters by a mile, and yet Trump prevailed because he excelled at trolling. The bad news for MAGA voters is that Trump acting like a clown doesn’t put money in your wallet, feed your family, or provide you with security. The worst news is that the worst might still be ahead. All eyes are now on the one thing Trump can pin his MAGA hat on: the stock market. Is there a bubble, as some experts are betting there is? Will there be a slowdown regardless of whether an AI bubble exists? Will the long-term effects of tariffs impact corporate earnings in the U.S. by 2026? If so, then the “wait-and-see” crowd will no longer be able to afford to wait and see.
20 billion for Argentina. 12 billion to compensate farmers for losses caused by his own policies. And meanwhile, what about the MAGA voters who believed in him? They’re still waiting. They’re waiting for prices to fall. They’re waiting for jobs to come back. They’re waiting for Trump to keep his promises. But Trump never keeps his promises. Not for them, anyway. For his family, his friends, the wealthy? Always. But for those who put him in power? Never.
Section 5: The Attack on Unions and Workers
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The Dismantling of Workers’ Protections
In the future, the economic hardships faced by working-class families could worsen due to the administration’s attacks on labor and employment laws. Policies aimed at promoting unions and raising minimum wage standards—as well as federal agencies and judges who enforce the rules on behalf of workers and the public—would all help the working class make ends meet, but the administration’s actions have significantly weakened each of these protections. Unions increase lifetime earnings for workers without a college degree by $1.5 million and boost household wealth for a typical family with a high school diploma and no college experience by 90 percent. Unions can also negotiate contracts that mitigate the effects of layoffs and ensure that wages rise faster than inflation.
Despite the benefits unions provide to working-class people, the Trump administration has relentlessly attacked unions. Through executive orders, President Trump has eliminated collective bargaining rights for more than 1 million federal workers—by far the largest single act of union-busting in American history, in the words of a labor historian—and has taken steps to weaken the federal agency responsible for ensuring that private-sector workers have the right to organize. Congressional lawmakers have signaled their desire to curb this excessive union-busting: Representatives Jared Golden and Brian Fitzpatrick introduced the bipartisan Protect America’s Workforce Act, which would reverse the administration’s attacks on federal unions. The Trump administration has also attacked the minimum wage, one of the most fundamental protections available to American workers. The Trump administration has proposed a rule that would eliminate minimum wage protections for up to 3.7 million domestic workers, who work in people’s homes to provide care and assistance to children and enable aging Americans and people with disabilities to live independently in their local communities.
1 million federal workers have lost their collective bargaining rights. 3.7 million home care workers could lose their minimum wage protections. And Trump calls this “draining the swamp.” He calls this “putting American workers first.” But it’s exactly the opposite. It’s weakening those who have the least. It’s enriching those who have the most. It’s betraying those who believed in him. And the worst part is that it’s continuing. It’s getting worse. And no one seems able to stop it.
Anti-worker judges appointed for life
The administration has weakened other agencies that also protect workers. It has replaced key pro-worker leaders at federal agencies—including the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Labor, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission—with former management-side attorneys and appointees with anti-union track records. These agencies have also scaled back protections and enforcement against discrimination and reduced penalties for workplace safety violations, meaning that workers can no longer rely on federal agencies to vigorously enforce the labor laws that protect them against discrimination, safety violations, and violations of wage and hour laws. A pro-worker president could appoint federal judges with a track record of defending workers to give workers a fairer hearing in the courts. But instead of appointing pro-worker judges to the federal bench, the Trump administration has chosen several judicial appointees who have acted to eliminate or weaken protections for workers.
Among President Trump’s appointees to the federal judiciary is Edmund LaCour, who worked to block minimum wage increases by representing the International Franchise Association in its effort to grant fast-food restaurants and other franchises a three-year exemption from raising wages to Seattle’s $15 minimum wage. As Alabama’s attorney general, LaCour successfully defended a law that blocked Birmingham’s local minimum wage increase. While working in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, Maria Lanahan defended the state’s 2018 law that classified most state employees as “at-will,” eliminating protections against wrongful termination and merit-based principles for public sector workers. Similarly, Stephen Chad Meredith successfully defended Kentucky’s “right-to-work” law, which undermined the right of private-sector workers to form, join, and maintain unions. Whitney Hermandorfer represented Tennessee in a legal brief supporting Starbucks in a case that made it much more difficult for the NLRB to prevent companies from retaliating against workers during union organizing campaigns.
Judges appointed for life. Judges who will spend the next decades weakening workers’ rights. Blocking minimum wage increases. Destroying unions. And Trump is appointing them one by one. Methodically. Systematically. Building a judicial system that will serve the rich and powerful for generations to come. While his voters are still waiting for their turn to come. A turn that will never come. Because the system is rigged. And Trump has rigged it even further.
Section 6: The Overlooked Alternatives
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DeSantis and Haley: The Roads Not Taken
I know, the alternative was worse, wasn’t it? When I look at food prices, I tell myself that at least I don’t have to listen to Kamala Harris’s laugh. But MAGA voters had a very good alternative. Hell, they had two good alternatives. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley would both have been far better for MAGA voters by a mile, and yet Trump prevailed because he was a master at trolling. The bad news for MAGA voters is that Trump acting like a clown doesn’t put money in your wallet, feed your family, or provide you with security. The worst news is that the worst might still be ahead. All eyes are now on the one thing Trump can pin his MAGA hat on: the stock market. Is there a bubble, as some experts are betting there is? Will there be a slowdown regardless of whether an AI bubble exists? Will the long-term effects of tariffs impact corporate America’s earnings in 2026?
Instead of accusing Trump’s critics of being deranged, it’s time for MAGA voters to do some soul-searching. Unless you’re part of the top ten percent driving the economy, what on earth could you possibly expect to happen that hasn’t already happened? Trump told you he’d fleece you. Waiting to see if he won’t do it in 2026 is the very embodiment of Trump Derangement Syndrome. American workers needed a champion in 2025, but rather than delivering on its promise of a “golden age” for the working class and American manufacturing, the Trump administration left workers struggling to find jobs and ill-prepared to cope with rising costs. The Trump administration’s attacks on unions and the minimum wage, the firing of pro-worker leaders in federal agencies, and the appointment of individuals with a history of opposing pro-worker policies will likely make things worse for American workers in the future.
DeSantis. Haley. Two alternatives that could have been game-changers. Two paths not taken. But no. MAGA voters chose trolling. They chose the spectacle. They chose Trump. And now they’re paying the price. Now they’re discovering that trolling doesn’t pay the bills. That the spectacle doesn’t feed families. That Trump doesn’t keep his promises. But it’s too late. The damage is done. And it will continue for years to come.
The Reverse Insanity Syndrome
Instead of accusing Trump’s critics of being deranged, it’s time for MAGA voters to do a little soul-searching. Unless you’re part of the ten percent driving the economy, what on earth could you possibly expect to happen that hasn’t already happened? Trump told you he’d fleece you. Waiting to see if he won’t do it in 2026 is the very embodiment of Trump Derangement Syndrome. What was supposed to be a banner year for the MAGA movement has instead seen middle- and working-class Trump voters telling us to “wait and see” while their world crumbles. Nothing sums this up better than the news from Lexington, Nebraska, where yet another major corporate conglomerate, Tyson Foods, announced the closure of a plant that employs about a third of the town’s population. As residents panic over the economic fallout for the entire town, MS Now found a Trump supporter on the side of the road asking for money. When asked what he thought of President Trump’s comments on the “accessibility hoax,” he said, “I believe in everything Donald Trump does.”
For nearly a decade, we’ve grown accustomed to this kind of ambush interview with MAGA voters. And the default response has been to tell us to wait and see and let Trump handle things as he sees fit. The idea that the president had been held back during his first term by the Democrats, the Republicans, the Supreme Court, government experts, and even that pesky Constitution was just MAGA’s way of moving the goalposts. Yeah, he could do whatever he wanted once we gave him nearly unlimited power. And Trump got exactly that last January. Not only did he prove his critics wrong with a political comeback for the ages, but he also led the Republicans to control of both houses of Congress, secured a very sympathetic and conservative Supreme Court, and filled his Cabinet with people who can’t say no to him. It was literally the MAGA voters’ dream come true. But now we have to wait until 2026 to see the benefits for middle-class and working-class MAGA voters?
Trump Derangement Syndrome. They used to use that term to describe those who criticized Trump. But now, they’re the ones suffering from it. They’re the ones who continue to believe despite all the evidence to the contrary. They’re the ones who continue to wait despite all the betrayals. They’re the ones who continue to hope despite all the disappointments. That’s the real Trump Derangement Syndrome. Believing in someone who has proven time and time again that he doesn’t deserve your trust. Waiting for something that will never come. Hoping for a miracle that won’t happen.
Section 7: The Trump Family's Wealth
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Drain the Swamp to Better Fill It
MAGA voters were right to criticize members of Congress for lining their pockets while in office. But draining the swamp has been very lucrative for the Trump family—to the tune of $3 billion. There are only so many ways you can be taken for a ride before you have to admit you’ve been duped. I know, the alternative was worse, wasn’t it? When I look at food prices, I tell myself that at least I don’t have to listen to Kamala Harris’s laugh. But MAGA voters had a very good alternative. Hell, they had two good alternatives. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley would both have been far better for MAGA voters by a mile, and yet Trump prevailed because he excelled at trolling. The bad news for MAGA voters is that Trump acting like a clown doesn’t put money in your wallet, feed your family, or provide you with security.
The worst news is that the worst may still be ahead. All eyes are now focused on the one thing Trump can pin his MAGA hat on: the stock market. Is there a bubble, as some experts are betting there is? Will there be a slowdown regardless of whether an AI bubble exists? Will the long-term effects of tariffs impact corporate earnings in 2026? If so, then the “wait-and-see” crowd will no longer be able to afford to wait and see. Instead of accusing Trump’s critics of being deranged, it’s time for MAGA voters to do some soul-searching. Unless you’re part of the ten percent driving the economy, what on earth could you possibly expect to happen that hasn’t already happened? Trump told you he’d fleece you. Waiting to see if he won’t do it in 2026 is the very embodiment of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
$3 billion. That’s what the Trump family made while his voters lost everything. $3 billion while 361,000 people lost their jobs. $3 billion while electricity prices rose by 9 percent. $3 billion while working families struggled to make ends meet. Drain the swamp? No. Fill it. Fill it with the money of those who believed. Of those who voted. Of those who hoped. And now they’re discovering the truth. But it’s too late.
The Broken Promises of Obamacare
MAGA voters voted for Trump to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, only to discover that, once again, Trump has no healthcare plan. Or perhaps the plan all along was to let premiums skyrocket for MAGA voters so that his family and friends could line their pockets. MAGA voters were right to criticize members of Congress for lining their own pockets while in office. But “draining the swamp” has been very lucrative for the Trump family—to the tune of $3 billion. There are only so many ways you can be taken for a ride before you have to admit you’ve been duped. I know, the alternative was worse, wasn’t it? When I look at food prices, I tell myself that at least I don’t have to listen to Kamala Harris’s laugh. But MAGA voters had a very good alternative. Heck, they had two good alternatives.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley would both have been far better choices for MAGA voters by a mile, and yet Trump prevailed because he excelled at trolling. The bad news for MAGA voters is that Trump acting like a clown doesn’t put money in your wallet, doesn’t feed your family, and doesn’t provide you with security. The worst news is that the worst might still be ahead. All eyes are now on the one thing Trump can pin his MAGA hat on: the stock market. Is there a bubble, as some experts are betting there is? Will there be a slowdown regardless of whether an AI bubble exists? Will the long-term effects of tariffs impact corporate earnings in 2026? If so, then the “wait-and-see” crowd will no longer be able to afford to wait and see.
No healthcare plan. Again. After all these years. After all these promises. No plan. Just rising premiums. Just families suffering. Just voters realizing they’ve been duped. Again. And they keep waiting. Keep believing. Keep telling themselves that this time will be different. But it will never be different. Not with Trump. Never with Trump.
Section 8: The True Cost of "America First"
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An economy for the rich alone
No one really expected prices to drop on day one, but at this point, the cost of food, clothing, transportation, and insurance has continued to rise throughout 2025. Is the economy growing and is the stock market on the rise? Yes, but who is spending the money and investing? The wealthy. The wealthiest 10 percent of Americans are driving this economy forward. Everyone else is cutting back on spending. It’s time for middle- and working-class MAGA voters to see that “America First” has put MAGA voters last. MAGA voters wanted to end the endless wars. This year’s military actions in Venezuela, Nigeria, Syria, and Yemen tell a different story. MAGA voters wanted to stop sending aid to foreign countries and are now trying to explain why Israel, Argentina, and even Ukraine are receiving billions. The bailout of Argentina was particularly egregious because it ultimately hurt American farmers, leading to the need for $12 billion in government aid.
That $12 billion, by the way, doesn’t even cover the losses farmers suffered because of Trump. MAGA voters voted for Trump to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, only to discover that, once again, Trump has no healthcare plan. Or maybe the plan all along was to let premiums skyrocket for MAGA voters so that his family and friends could line their pockets. MAGA voters were right to criticize members of Congress for lining their pockets while in office. But “draining the swamp” has been very lucrative for the Trump family—to the tune of $3 billion. There are only so many ways you can be taken for a ride before you have to admit you’ve been duped. I know, the alternative was worse, wasn’t it? When I look at food prices, I tell myself that at least I don’t have to listen to Kamala Harris’s laughter.
An economy for the rich. That’s Trump’s “America First.” The richest 10 percent are thriving. The stock market is soaring. Billionaires are getting richer. And the rest of us? We’re cutting back on spending. We’re counting every dollar. We’re wondering how we’re going to pay the next bill. That’s “America First.” An America where only the rich matter. Where only the powerful thrive. Where MAGA voters come last.
The bubble that threatens to burst
The bad news for MAGA voters is that Trump acting like a clown doesn’t put money in your wallet, doesn’t feed your family, and doesn’t provide you with security. The worst news is that the worst might still be ahead. All eyes are now on the one thing Trump can pin his MAGA hat on: the stock market. Is there a bubble, as some experts are betting there is? Will there be a slowdown regardless of whether an AI bubble exists? Will the long-term effects of tariffs impact corporate earnings in 2026? If so, then the “wait-and-see” crowd will no longer be able to afford to wait and see. Instead of accusing Trump’s critics of being deranged, it’s time for MAGA voters to do some soul-searching. Unless you’re part of the top ten percent driving the economy, what on earth could you possibly expect to happen that hasn’t already happened?
Trump told you he’d fleece you. Waiting to see if he won’t do so in 2026 is the very embodiment of Trump Derangement Syndrome. American workers needed a champion in 2025, but rather than delivering on its promise of a “golden age” for the working class and American manufacturing, the Trump administration left workers struggling to find jobs and ill-prepared to cope with rising costs. The Trump administration’s attacks on unions and the minimum wage, the firing of pro-worker leaders in federal agencies, and the appointment of individuals with a history of opposing pro-worker policies will likely make things worse for American workers in the future. President Trump talks a good game for workers, but the results of his first year back in office have been rather lackluster. The administration promised to revive manufacturing by imposing tariffs, but instead delivered a “Liberation Day” that ushered in a loss of 58,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs and drove up the prices of basic household goods.
A bubble that threatens to burst. That’s all Trump has left. The stock market. His last card. His final argument. But what will happen when that bubble bursts? What will happen when the effects of the tariffs really hit? What will happen when the recession hits? MAGA voters won’t be able to wait any longer. They won’t be able to hold out hope any longer. They’ll finally have to face reality. Trump has betrayed them. And he’ll continue to betray them.
Section 9: Data That Doesn't Lie
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361,000 jobs lost: a harsh reality
Since the Trump administration took office in January, 361,000 fewer workers without a college degree are employed. Although more than 750,000 jobs have been created for workers with college degrees so far in 2025, the working class as a whole has lost hundreds of thousands of jobs, and the least-educated workers have borne the brunt of the job losses. U.S. manufacturing, traditionally viewed as a pathway to the middle class for workers without a college degree, has declined under President Trump’s leadership, particularly following the administration’s April 2025 announcement of “Liberation Day,” which imposed symbolic tariffs on nearly every country. Since January 2025, 49,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost, and 58,000 were lost from April through September. Despite the administration’s stated goal of reviving U.S. manufacturing by imposing tariffs, U.S. manufacturers are struggling to cope with rising costs.
The decline in manufacturing shows no signs of slowing down. A private estimate of job losses by ADP Research revealed that an additional 18,000 manufacturing jobs were lost in November alone. Although President Trump inherited an economy with high levels of real wage growth for the working class in January, wage growth has slowed this year for workers without a college degree. In January 2025, real wages for all workers were rising at an annual rate of 2.1 percent. But wage growth has slowed for the working class since January, with wage growth falling by 0.5 percentage points for workers with a high school diploma or less and by 0.7 percentage points for workers with associate’s degrees through September. Real wage growth has declined because workers’ wages are not rising as quickly while inflation remains high.
The numbers don’t lie. 361,000 jobs lost. 58,000 manufacturing jobs vanished. Wage growth is slowing. Inflation remains high. These are facts. Realities. Truths that no one can deny. And yet, Trump continues to lie. To make promises. To say that everything is fine. That the economy is strong. That workers are thriving. But the numbers tell a different story. The numbers tell the truth. And the truth is that Trump has betrayed his voters.
Skyrocketing prices, stagnant wages
Even as employment and wage growth for working-class people have declined, the cost of living—such as electricity and food prices—is rising. From January through August 2025—the most recent month for which data is available—the real prices consumers pay for residential electricity rose by more than 9 percent. Although the national average for residential electricity prices tends to be higher in the summer than in the winter, prices in August 2025 are still 3.1 percent higher than those in August 2024 after adjusting for inflation, and analysts have projected an average annual increase of $100 in electricity bills alone for U.S. households in 2025. The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that real prices next year will be even higher. Prices for basic goods such as food and household appliances have all risen due to tariffs.
The administration has raised tariffs to levels not seen in nearly a century, with the result that American consumers are now paying higher prices for imported goods and American manufacturers are struggling with higher costs, which in many cases are ultimately passed on to the consumer. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that tariffs will cost each household an average of $1,700 per year. In addition to existing price trends, researchers estimated that, from the start of the tariff announcements in March through November, prices rose by an additional 9.2 percent for coffee, tea, and cocoa; by 5.5 percent for fruit; by 5.6 percent for large household appliances; by 6.2 percent for meat; and by 2 percent for pharmaceuticals, compared to the price trend established before the tariffs were imposed, from October 2024 to March 2025.
Prices are skyrocketing. Wages are stagnating. That’s the equation of misery. The equation of betrayal. The equation of Trump’s “America First.” Every month, working families see their purchasing power decline. Every month, they have to make impossible choices. Pay the electric bill or buy food? Pay the rent or buy medicine? These are the choices Trump is forcing on those who elected him. These are the consequences of his policies. And he calls it a victory.
Section 10: A Toxic Legacy for the Future
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Decades of Setbacks for Workers
In the future, the economic hardships faced by working-class families could worsen due to the administration’s attacks on labor and employment laws. Policies aimed at promoting unions and raising minimum wage standards—along with federal agencies and judges who enforce the rules on behalf of workers and the public—would all help the working class make ends meet, but the administration’s actions have significantly weakened each of these protections. Unions increase lifetime earnings for workers without a college degree by $1.5 million and boost household wealth for a typical family with a high school diploma and no college experience by 90 percent. Unions can also negotiate contracts that mitigate the effects of layoffs and ensure that wages rise faster than inflation. Despite the benefits unions provide to working-class people, the Trump administration has relentlessly attacked unions.
Through executive orders, President Trump has eliminated collective bargaining rights for more than 1 million federal workers—by far the largest single act of union-busting in American history, in the words of a labor historian—and has taken steps to weaken the federal agency responsible for ensuring that private-sector workers have the right to organize. Congressional lawmakers have signaled their desire to curb this excessive union-busting: Representatives Jared Golden and Brian Fitzpatrick introduced the bipartisan Protect America’s Workforce Act, which would reverse the administration’s attacks on federal unions. The Trump administration has also attacked the minimum wage, one of the most fundamental protections available to American workers. The Trump administration has proposed a rule that would eliminate minimum wage protections for up to 3.7 million domestic workers, who work in people’s homes to provide care and assistance to children and enable aging Americans and people with disabilities to live independently in their local communities.
Trump’s legacy will not just be one terrible year. It will be decades of setbacks. Decades in which workers will have fewer rights. Fewer protections. Less power. The judges he appointed will serve for decades. The laws he weakened will take years to restore. The unions he destroyed will take generations to rebuild. That is his legacy. Not greatness. Not prosperity. But destruction. Betrayal. Abandonment of those who believed in him.
A rigged judicial system for generations
The administration has weakened other agencies that also protect workers. It has replaced key pro-worker leaders at federal agencies—including the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Labor, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission—with former management-side attorneys and appointees with anti-union track records. These agencies have also rolled back protections and enforcement against discrimination and reduced penalties for workplace safety violations, meaning that workers can no longer rely on federal agencies to vigorously enforce the labor laws that protect them against discrimination, safety violations, and violations of wage and hour laws. A pro-worker president could appoint federal judges with a track record of defending workers to give workers a fairer hearing in the courts. But instead of appointing pro-worker judges to the federal bench, the Trump administration has chosen several judicial appointees who have acted to eliminate or weaken protections for workers.
Among President Trump’s appointees to the federal judiciary is Edmund LaCour, who worked to block minimum wage increases by representing the International Franchise Association in its effort to grant fast-food restaurants and other franchises a three-year exemption from raising wages to Seattle’s $15 minimum wage. As Alabama’s attorney general, LaCour successfully defended a law that blocked Birmingham’s local minimum wage increase. While working in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, Maria Lanahan defended the state’s 2018 law that classified most state employees as “at-will,” eliminating protections against wrongful termination and merit-based principles for public sector workers. Similarly, Stephen Chad Meredith successfully defended Kentucky’s “right-to-work” law, which undermined the right of private-sector workers to form, join, and maintain unions.
A rigged judicial system. For generations. This may be Trump’s most toxic legacy. The judges he appointed will serve for thirty or forty years. They will block minimum wage increases. They will weaken unions. They will protect corporations against workers. And there will be nothing we can do about it. Nothing. Because judges are appointed for life. Because the system is rigged. Because Trump won. And workers lost. For generations.
Section 11: The Awakening That Is Slow in Coming
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How much longer before people wake up?
Instead of accusing Trump’s critics of being deranged, it’s time for MAGA voters to do some soul-searching. Unless you’re part of the top ten percent driving the economy, what on earth could you possibly expect to happen that hasn’t already happened? Trump told you he’d fleece you. Waiting to see if he won’t do it in 2026 is the very embodiment of Trump Derangement Syndrome. American workers needed a champion in 2025, but rather than delivering on its promise of a “golden age” for the working class and American manufacturing, the Trump administration left workers struggling to find jobs and ill-prepared to cope with rising costs. The Trump administration’s attacks on unions and the minimum wage, the firing of pro-worker leaders in federal agencies, and the appointment of individuals with a history of opposing pro-worker policies will likely make things worse for American workers in the future.
President Trump talks a good game for workers, but the results of his first year back in office have been rather lackluster. The administration promised to revive manufacturing by imposing tariffs, but instead delivered a “Liberation Day” that ushered in a loss of 58,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs and drove up the prices of basic household goods. What was supposed to be a banner year for the MAGA movement has instead seen Trump’s middle-class and working-class voters telling us to “wait and see” while their world crumbles. Nothing sums this up better than the news from Lexington, Nebraska, where yet another major corporate conglomerate, Tyson Foods, announced the closure of a plant that employs about a third of the town’s population. As residents panic over the economic fallout for the entire town, MS Now found a Trump supporter standing on the side of the road asking for money. When asked what he thought of President Trump’s comments on the “accessibility hoax,” he said, “I believe in everything Donald Trump does.”
How much longer? How many betrayals will it take? How many jobs lost? How many broken promises? How many lies before MAGA voters realize they’ve been duped? That man on the side of the road in Lexington, who lost his job but continues to believe in Trump, sums it all up. Blind faith. Desperate hope. Endless waiting. But at some point, they’ll have to wake up. At some point, they’ll have to face reality. Trump will never keep his promises. Never.
Voters’ Responsibility for Their Choices
For nearly a decade, we’ve grown accustomed to this kind of trap interview with MAGA voters. And the default response was to tell us to wait and see and let Trump handle things as he sees fit. The idea that the president had been held back during his first term by the Democrats, the Republicans, the Supreme Court, government experts, and even that pesky Constitution was just MAGA’s way of moving the goalposts. Yeah, he could do whatever he wanted once we gave him nearly unlimited power. And Trump got exactly that last January. Not only did he prove his critics wrong with a political comeback for the ages, but he also led the Republicans to control both houses of Congress, inherited a very sympathetic and conservative Supreme Court, and assembled a Cabinet full of people who can’t say no to him. It was literally the MAGA voters’ dream come true.
But now, do we have to wait until 2026 to see the benefits for middle-class and working-class MAGA voters? No one really expected prices to drop on day one, but at this point, the cost of food, clothing, transportation, and insurance has continued to rise throughout 2025. Is the economy growing, and is the stock market on the rise? Yes, but who is spending money and investing? The wealthy. The top 10 percent of Americans are driving this economy forward. Everyone else is cutting back on spending. It’s time for middle- and working-class MAGA voters to see that “America First” has put MAGA voters last. MAGA voters wanted to end the endless wars. This year’s military actions in Venezuela, Nigeria, Syria, and Yemen tell a different story. MAGA voters wanted to stop sending aid to foreign countries and are now trying to explain why Israel, Argentina, and even Ukraine are receiving billions.
Responsibility. It’s a difficult word. A word no one wants to hear. But it must be said. MAGA voters bear some responsibility for what is happening. They chose Trump. Again and again. Despite all the signs. Despite all the evidence. Despite all the betrayals of the first term. They chose to believe. To trust. To hope. And now they’re paying the price. But the question remains: will they finally take responsibility? Will they finally admit their mistake? Or will they keep waiting? Keep believing? Keep hoping?
Conclusion: The Year the MAGA Dream Died
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A Disastrous Record for 2025
President Trump promised to be a “champion for the American worker,” but his administration’s actions are setting workers without college degrees up for failure. The first year of Trump’s second term has brought job losses, slowing wage growth, and rising costs for working-class Americans compared to the start of 2025. With a tough job market, wages that aren’t rising fast enough, and weakened unions and labor standards, working families are finding it harder to cope with rising costs for essentials, including electricity, food, and household appliances. At the same time, the administration is dismantling unions, cutting the minimum wage, weakening agencies that protect workers, and appointing anti-worker judges to the judiciary—all of which are likely to exacerbate the working class’s hardships in the future. The most recent data on employment and the cost of living since the start of President Trump’s second term show that even after accounting for inflation, total employment for workers without a college degree fell by 361,000 jobs from January to September 2025.
American workers needed a champion in 2025, but rather than delivering on its promise of a “golden age” for the working class and American manufacturing, the Trump administration left workers struggling to find jobs and ill-prepared to cope with rising costs. The Trump administration’s attacks on unions and the minimum wage, the firing of pro-worker leaders in federal agencies, and the appointment of individuals with a history of opposing pro-worker policies will likely make things worse for American workers in the future. President Trump talks a good game for workers, but the results of his first year back in office have been rather lackluster. The administration promised to revive manufacturing by imposing tariffs, but instead delivered a “Liberation Day” that ushered in a loss of 58,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs and drove up the prices of basic household goods. Instead of accusing Trump’s critics of being out of touch, it’s time for MAGA voters to do some soul-searching.
2025. The year the MAGA dream died. The year the promises turned out to be lies. The year voters discovered they had been betrayed. 361,000 jobs lost. 58,000 manufacturing jobs evaporated. Wages stagnating. Prices skyrocketing. Unions destroyed. Protections weakened. Anti-worker judges appointed for decades. That’s Trump’s record. That’s his legacy. And yet, some people continue to wait. To believe. To hope. But for how much longer?
The bleak future on the horizon
Unless you’re part of the top ten percent driving the economy, what on earth could you possibly expect to happen that hasn’t already happened? Trump told you he’d fleece you. Waiting to see if he won’t do it in 2026 is the epitome of Trump Derangement Syndrome. The bad news for MAGA voters is that Trump acting like a clown doesn’t put money in your wallet, doesn’t feed your family, and doesn’t provide you with security. The worst news is that the worst might still be yet to come. All eyes are now focused on the one thing Trump can pin his MAGA hat on: the stock market. Is there a bubble, as some experts are betting there is? Will there be a slowdown regardless of whether there’s an AI bubble? Will the long-term effects of tariffs impact corporate America’s earnings in 2026? If so, then the “wait-and-see” crowd will no longer be able to afford to wait and see.
What was supposed to be a banner year for the MAGA movement has instead seen middle-class and working-class Trump voters telling us to “wait and see” while their world crumbles. Nothing sums this up better than the news from Lexington, Nebraska, where yet another major corporate conglomerate, Tyson Foods, announced the closure of a plant that employs about a third of the town’s population. As residents panic over the economic fallout for the entire town, MS Now found a Trump supporter on the side of the road asking for money. When asked what he thought of President Trump’s comments on the “accessibility hoax,” he said: “I believe in everything Donald Trump does.” For nearly a decade, we’ve grown accustomed to this kind of trap interview with MAGA voters. And the default response has been to tell us to wait and see and let Trump handle things as he sees fit. But how much longer can they wait before reality finally catches up with them?
The future is bleak. For MAGA voters. For the working class. For everyone who believed in Trump’s promises. Because the damage is done. Jobs are lost. Unions are destroyed. Judges are appointed. And it’s going to last. Years. Decades. Generations. That is Trump’s legacy. Not the greatness he promised. But the destruction he has sown. And those who brought him to power? They are the first victims. The first to be betrayed. The first to be abandoned. America First? No. MAGA Last. Always MAGA Last.
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