Paul Krugman: Trump Voters Are Already Getting “Brutally Scammed”
Jan 14, 2025
auto_awesome
Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist and columnist for The New York Times, discusses the state of the economy and challenges Trump's claims of disaster. He explains how Trump’s radical policies face resistance amid positive economic indicators. Krugman warns that many of Trump's supporters might be 'brutally scammed' as propaganda escalates. The conversation also touches on how misinformation shapes public perception and highlights the importance of humor in combating political manipulation.
Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportations risk harming his working-class voters while benefiting upper-income individuals, despite a strong economy.
Paul Krugman emphasizes that Trump's propaganda strategy aims to distort public perception, vilifying immigrants to justify harmful policies against his own supporters.
Deep dives
Trump's Economic Disconnect and Radical Policies
Donald Trump’s proposed radical policies, including high tariffs and mass deportations, create a significant disconnect in the context of the current positive economic climate. The economy boasts low unemployment and manageable inflation, making it challenging for Trump to justify such drastic measures. Paul Krugman highlights that Trump may resort to dishonesty and demagoguery to persuade supporters that urgent changes are necessary, despite the economy's relative strength. As opinions shift among party lines, Republicans start to perceive the economy favorably with Trump at the helm, while Democrats express concerns about inflation, reflecting the political rhetoric surrounding these economic conditions.
The Impact of Tariffs on Working-Class Voters
Trump’s intention to implement tariffs poses a direct threat to working-class voters, potentially raising their living costs while benefiting upper-income individuals through tax cuts. His rationale for tariffs involves fabricating reasons to frame nations like Canada as adversarial, despite the reality that significant trade surpluses stem from beneficial exchanges, particularly in oil. This approach suggests that Trump is willing to prioritize radical policies that could harm his base without recognizing the adverse impacts they may face. The industrial interconnectedness of the U.S. and its neighbors complicates this further, as tariffs risk significant damage to domestic manufacturing and small businesses that are crucial to his support.
Rhetoric and Propaganda in Policy Justifications
Trump’s use of rhetoric surrounding immigration and crime aims to build a narrative that justifies mass deportations while simultaneously deceiving his supporters about the implications of these actions. As Krugman notes, the administration might exploit selective deportations and create a propaganda machine to vilify immigrants, suggesting they are responsible for social issues facing communities. This tactic not only aims to solidify a support base through fear and misinformation but also risks significant disruption in sectors heavily reliant on immigrant labor, such as agriculture and construction. The potential for misinformation to corrupt public perception of both crime and economic success could ultimately leave working-class supporters vulnerable to policies that do not align with their best interests.
Donald Trump recently declared that the U.S. is a “disaster” and a “laughingstock all over the world.” In reality, by many metrics, the economy is quite good, and our recovery from covid has been an international success story. But Paul Krugman recently noticed something interesting: This could create problems for Trump. As Krugman asked on his excellent new Substack, how will he justify radical, across-the-board tariffs and mass deportations if things are going well? We talked to Krugman, who explains how Trump is likely to resort to gale-force levels of propaganda, how he’s threatening havoc with the economy, and how his voters are getting “brutally scammed” in the process.