Top Economist Admits Trump May Have ‘Outsmarted All of Us’ on Tariffs

[mystery-ak]

Top Economist Admits Trump May Have ‘Outsmarted All of Us’ on Tariffs
Matt Margolis
5–6 minutes

Donald Trump has a knack for making the so-called experts look foolish, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the ongoing debate over tariffs. The political and economic elite have ridiculed Trump’s approach, insisting that his tough stance on trade would backfire, cause a recession and cripple the U.S. economy. Yet despite all the apocalyptic predictions, the economy hasn’t gone south, and predictions of a looming recession have been quietly walked back.

Recently, a prominent anti-Trump economist admitted what many on the right have been saying from the beginning: Trump’s tariff strategy wasn’t the reckless gamble the media made it out to be. Instead, it was a calculated move designed to protect American workers, revive domestic manufacturing, and put America’s interests first.

    A prominent Wall Street economist who had slammed President Trump’s tariffs earlier this year now says that the president may have “outsmarted all of us” with his controversial trade policies.

    Torsten Sløk, chief economist at investment giant Apollo Global Management, said that while the uncertainty surrounding trade policy has already started to weigh on the economy, Trump could lower tariffs on most of the US trading partners while using the levies to boost federal revenue.

    Sløk suggested in a recently posted analysis that the administration’s approach may be more strategic than previously thought.

    The optimistic outlook stands in stark contrast to his earlier position.

    In April, Sløk warned that Trump’s tariffs could trigger a recession by summer, particularly harming American small businesses and potentially halting the flow of goods from China to the US, leading to layoffs and a broader economic slowdown.

Let’s be honest—Trump’s critics never gave him a fair shake. They scoffed at his insistence that America was getting fleeced by China and other trading partners. They dismissed his warnings about the hollowing out of our industrial base. They mocked his promise to bring jobs back to the heartland. But now, even some of the most respected voices in economics are forced to admit that Trump’s tariffs have delivered results that the so-called experts said were impossible.

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https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2025/06/29/top-economist-admits-trump-may-have-outsmarted-all-of-us-on-tariffs-n4941279

[catfish1957]

"Recently, a prominent anti-Trump economist admitted what many on the right have been saying from the beginning: Trump’s tariff strategy wasn’t the reckless gamble the media made it out to be. Instead, it was a calculated move designed to protect American workers, revive domestic manufacturing, and put America’s interests first."
=======================================================================================================a==

I spent quite a bit of time yesterday in flame event with an unnamed Briefer about this very issue.  What these Anti-Trump economists and in the case of Briefer X, didn't realize that a lot of what Trump is doing in the area of tariffs straight from Calvin Coolidge's playbook.  Again.  Tariffs aren't the main event....   just one tool in the tool kit to deal with nations who want to take advantage of a country that allowed itself to be screwed by trading partners for decades.   This alone levels the playing field. 

Iif you could pull Trump off to the side, I am sure he'd say as the ultimate capitalist, that in the real world there would be no tariffs, no currency manipulation, or other tactics  to "game" the system. 

[Bigun]

@LMAO Please pick up the white courtesy phone.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

"Recently, a prominent anti-Trump economist admitted what many on the right have been saying from the beginning: Trump’s tariff strategy wasn’t the reckless gamble the media made it out to be. Instead, it was a calculated move designed to protect American workers, revive domestic manufacturing, and put America’s interests first."
=======================================================================================================a==

I spent quite a bit of time yesterday in flame event with an unnamed Briefer about this very issue.  What these Anti-Trump economists and in the case of Briefer X, didn't realize that a lot of what Trump is doing in the area of tariffs straight from Calvin Coolidge's playbook.  Again.  Tariffs aren't the main event....   just one tool in the tool kit to deal with nations who want to take advantage of a country that allowed itself to be screwed by trading partners for decades.   This alone levels the playing field. 

Iif you could pull Trump off to the side, I am sure he'd say as the ultimate capitalist, that in the real world there would be no tariffs, no currency manipulation, or other tactics  to "game" the system. 

[DefiantMassRINO]

Trump's lizard-brain instincts VS Paul Krugman's NY Times Noble-prize Winning Economist brain ... my $2.00 is on Trump.

[roamer_1]

"Recently, a prominent anti-Trump economist admitted what many on the right have been saying from the beginning: Trump’s tariff strategy wasn’t the reckless gamble the media made it out to be. Instead, it was a calculated move designed to protect American workers, revive domestic manufacturing, and put America’s interests first."
=======================================================================================================a==

I spent quite a bit of time yesterday in flame event with an unnamed Briefer about this very issue.  What these Anti-Trump economists and in the case of Briefer X, didn't realize that a lot of what Trump is doing in the area of tariffs straight from Calvin Coolidge's playbook.  Again.  Tariffs aren't the main event....   just one tool in the tool kit to deal with nations who want to take advantage of a country that allowed itself to be screwed by trading partners for decades.   This alone levels the playing field. 

Iif you could pull Trump off to the side, I am sure he'd say as the ultimate capitalist, that in the real world there would be no tariffs, no currency manipulation, or other tactics  to "game" the system. 

Ridiculous pap.

[catfish1957]

Ridiculous pap.

Ignoring  our greatest FIN POTUS (Coolidge), and Trump's ability to channel him into fair trade with the same philosphy.

That's monumental pap.   Unless you are calling Coolidge an idiot too.  But I am sure. (lol) you are so are so much knowledgeable around economic matters than I am.   

[roamer_1]

Ignoring  our greatest FIN POTUS (Coolidge), and Trump's ability to channel him into fair trade with the same philosphy.

That's monumental pap.   Unless you are calling Coolidge an idiot too.  But I am sure. (lol) you are so are so much knowledgeable around economic matters than I am.   

No. Tumpy is no Coolidge. Coolidge would be aghast at Tumpy's Big Beautiful Bill. Horrified by it. You sully the name with the comparison.

THAT is the ridiculous pap - Ignoring the elephant in the room for a pocket full of promises.

And that's all this is - A pocket full of promises. Just like the job promises he claims, bringing industry back to the US. Most of those promises will take years to begin to be kept, and likely won't be kept. But he struts it around like a done deal, waiving it around like a trophy. These tariffs are the same damn thing.

Even if they are real, and immediate in being enacted (which I'll bet they're not), They'll all go right back the other way the minute he steps out of office, if they make it that far... Congress changing hands at the midterm may very well gut everything he's done so far, to include the tariff deals. Just like at the end of his last term , when everything he'd done went up in smoke.

It's a big beautiful plastic banana. He knows it, I know it, and so do you.

[catfish1957]

No. Tumpy is no Coolidge. Coolidge would be aghast at Tumpy's Big Beautiful Bill. Horrified by it. You sully the name with the comparison.

THAT is the ridiculous pap - Ignoring the elephant in the room for a pocket full of promises.

And that's all this is - A pocket full of promises. Just like the job promises he claims, bringing industry back to the US. Most of those promises will take years to begin to be kept, and likely won't be kept. But he struts it around like a done deal, waiving it around like a trophy. These tariffs are the same damn thing.

Even if they are real, and immediate in being enacted (which I'll bet they're not), They'll all go right back the other way the minute he steps out of office, if they make it that far... Congress changing hands at the midterm may very well gut everything he's done so far, to include the tariff deals. Just like at the end of his last term , when everything he'd done went up in smoke.

It's a big beautiful plastic banana. He knows it, I know it, and so do you.

If it had or down fail you would have seen massive tax increases, but I guess you are okay with that.  I am not totally happy with this either on the spending side, but it sure beats the alternative.  And there will be time to adjust on the fly as we progress. I am and have proved to be the one of the most  conservative members on this site, and maybe the most conservative when it comes to financial matters.  My life is a testament to that.  Still, I am a realist, who can see the freakin' shit hit the fan, if we give the dims cover by us imploding.  Kill this Bill, and Biden's shit is perpetuated.  Do you understand or accept that?

I used to have a strong dislike of Trump too, but I have noticed that you can't give him any props for anything.  That hasn't gone unnoticed.

I view this as Act 1 of the play, except you are treating it like the finale.   We needed a placeholder, establishing and getting rid of things like the Green shit.  As far as Coolidge, did you even bother to read his Econ manifesto?  I'd bet not.  As great as Coolidge was, he did not inherit such an emergency.

I agree with you on some things, but you/ve gone off the loony rail. 

[Bigun]

Bessent is 100% correct.

https://Twitter.com/Acyn/status/1940029232006275202

[roamer_1]

If it had or down fail you would have seen massive tax increases, but I guess you are okay with that.  I am not totally happy with this either on the spending side, but it sure beats the alternative. 

Oh, bullcrap! All that money 'saved' from USAID and from the decimation of the Dept of Ed - Pushing better than a trillion bucks in 'savings', and it's STILL GONNA COST A COUPLE TRILLION MORE???? Another projected trillion in revenues predicted by his tariff manipulations and still a couple trillion MORE?

He's pissin in your pocket and telling you it's raining. And much to your detriment, you believe him.  It's all smoke.

And there will be time to adjust on the fly as we progress.

Yeah, right. 

I am and have proved to be the one of the most  conservative members on this site, and maybe the most conservative when it comes to financial matters.  My life is a testament to that. 

Right. And most times I respect that and consider you a friend from way back.

Still, I am a realist, who can see the freakin' shit hit the fan, if we give the dims cover by us imploding.  Kill this Bill, and Biden's shit is perpetuated.  Do you understand or accept that?

A COUPLE FREAKIN TRILLLLLLLLION MORE. Trillion. Oh, hell no, of course I don't accept that.

I used to have a strong dislike of Trump too, but I have noticed that you can't give him any props for anything.  That hasn't gone unnoticed.

Oh bullcrap. Credit where it's due. I just find damn little worthy of credit. One SCOTUS judge from his first term.... That's about it. The rest was in the red before he left office, and whatever he did got overturned the minute he was gone.

Same damn story, different day wrt his second term. Watch and see. A whole lot of this is smoke and mirrors.

I view this as Act 1 of the play, except you are treating it like the finale.   We needed a placeholder, establishing and getting rid of things like the Green shit. 

He ain't 'got rid' of nothin.

As far as Coolidge, did you even bother to read his Econ manifesto?  I'd bet not.  As great as Coolidge was, he did not inherit such an emergency.

No. I am familiar in a summary sort of way, but long ago. Anything newer than the Venerable Bede is outside of my wheelhouse. I have some familiarity on newer things, but that ain't where I live. My gig is in the distant past.

I agree with you on some things, but you/ve gone off the loony rail.

Not at all. My criterion remains exactly the same as always. 'What do we get to keep'. All else don't count. It's vapor. Flatulence for the sheep to inhale. I wonder if you could tick off the things we get to keep from this administration. The list ain't long.

And then a judgement on if the thing we get to keep is good or bad. Whether it meets a Conservative standard. That's been how I roll all the way along. I am utterly immune to the Brylcreme and the Dentyne schwing. Maybe that is why I am unmoved. I stand on principle and nothing else.

I see all y'all being all too willing to have the wool pulled over your eyes.  It's the same hopey-changey crap that's on the left. And I think far too many of y'all forget that patriotism requires that the government is the enemy, not the Democrats. The Democrats wouldn't be able to do anything if the government was back in it's box, and the proper size.

But it's alright. You'll catch on. Something earth-shaking will happen to knock those rose colored glasses off, and you'll yank the wool from your eyes... Just like last time.

But it'll be you eating crow, not @LMAO . And another four years wasted. And bigger and 'better' government to boot.