Disastrous economic policy interview explains Donald Trump’s persisting money woes

If you’re looking for reliable business advice, here’s a solid tip: avoid any counsel from a self-titled “king of debt” who’s now resorted to selling sneakers, watches, and even Bibles. It looks like Donald Trump is hanging onto his last thread. And if not even divine intervention can bail him out, it’s a stretch to think he can lead an entire nation into economic prosperity.

During an October 15 interview with Bloomberg’s Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait, Trump once again championed his favorite economic fix-all: tariffs. His grand vision? Boost the American economy by slapping taxes on everything foreign, no matter how trivial. This strategy, which even billionaires like Mark Cuban think is bad policy, boils down to making imports pricier while risking our trade relationships. Trump genuinely believes this will strengthen the economy, but critics say it could hurt U.S. consumers the most.

Micklethwait argued that Trump’s approach would take “many, many, many years” before Americans might see any real benefits. Revamping entire supply chains, building new factories, and training workers isn’t something that happens overnight, despite Trump’s “just yell ‘America First’” approach. In reality, analysts warn his plan could push inflation up by 2% in a single year, leaving the average American household paying an extra $1,350 to $3,900 annually on imported goods.

Micklethwait didn’t hold back on questioning Trump’s fuzzy math either, pointing out that tariffs on $3 trillion worth of imports would instantly drive up costs for all consumers. When asked about a Wall Street Journal report projecting his proposals could add $7 trillion to the national debt, Trump didn’t respond with a concrete plan. Instead, he crossed his arms, sank into his chair, and snapped back at the interviewer, “You’ve been wrong all your life on this stuff.”

As if the interview wasn’t disastrous enough, the fallout reached Trump’s own business empire. Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group – which owns Truth Social – tanked by more than $5 in a single session, halting trading on the NASDAQ. It seems Trump’s business acumen hasn’t improved, considering his history of failed ventures.

Over the years, Trump has driven multiple businesses into bankruptcy: from the Trump Taj Mahal, his $800 million casino that filed for bankruptcy within a year of opening, to Trump University, which folded after a $25 million fraud settlement. His other ventures, like Trump Airlines, Trump Vodka, Trump Steaks, and Trump Mortgage, all flopped too. If anything, he’s perfected the art of turning everything he touches into a financial catastrophe.

Perhaps he needs a splash of raw milk – Marjorie Taylor Greene’s go-to “brain tonic.” Or maybe he should’ve let Whoopi Goldberg take center stage a bit longer to distract from the latest financial meltdown.