There’s no such thing as a perfect president. As Christians, we should always remember that our faith belongs to God, not to mortal men. While political leadership plays a vital role in shaping nations, it’s troubling to see how much faith people continue to place in politicians — flawed, human leaders who are often guided more by ambition than conviction.
Before examining former President Donald Trump’s economic direction, let’s briefly acknowledge what we respected about Joe Biden’s presidency. While his administration left much to be desired intellectually and strategically, Biden did not overly interfere with the Federal Reserve and largely refrained from using tariffs as a political weapon.
That brings us to Trump — the self-proclaimed champion of American industry. The reality is that tariffs are taxes. No matter how passionately one supports Trump, this fact remains unchanged. When tariffs are imposed, they distort markets by raising operational costs and limiting competition. For global investors, the United States is beginning to resemble the European Union — a region where political decisions increasingly dictate market outcomes.
Before Trump’s trade war policies, the U.S. dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency allowed millions of non-Americans to build wealth simply by participating in global commerce linked to the U.S. economy. Trump’s policies disrupted that system. By attempting to “level the playing field” and bring jobs home — many of which Americans may not even want — he has effectively implemented price controls. These protectionist measures must now be priced into every stage of production and distribution.
Complicating matters further, the U.S. continues to sanction countries it dislikes while discouraging the use of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin — alternative systems that might otherwise serve as a check on monetary overreach. These factors have driven up the costs of commodities, services, and labor.
To Trump’s credit, one could argue that his measures are temporary — a form of economic brinkmanship to make foreign powers yield. However, there’s a simpler and more effective path to prosperity: deregulation. If the administration focused on cutting unnecessary regulations and enforcing existing laws rather than introducing new taxes in disguise, the market would rebalance naturally.
Unfortunately, Trump’s promises to protect Medicaid and Social Security — two of America’s largest unfunded liabilities — keep the nation on an unsustainable fiscal path. These entitlement programs are politically popular but economically crippling. A truly disciplined administration would focus on fiscal reality, not populism.
Populism may win votes, but it doesn’t pay debts. And under Trump, operational costs are rising, markets are becoming more politicized, and gold prices are reflecting that instability. Political money — currency manipulated by policy rather than productivity — inevitably becomes debased.
If Trump eventually reverses course on tariffs in a second term, it would be a wise and stabilizing move. But if not, the consequences are clear: a Democrat successor would likely maintain or expand protectionist policies, triggering a historic gold bull run unlike anything we’ve seen before.
Even now, inflation continues to surge as tariffs ripple through supply chains. Fewer competitors mean fewer consumer choices, especially in sectors like medicine and essential goods. When imports become restricted, Americans end up paying more — even when buying from abroad.
Beyond that, recent moves to limit the de minimis exemption (which allowed low-value imports to enter the U.S. duty-free) have handed enormous leverage to retail giants like Walmart, consolidating market power at the expense of small businesses.
The hard truth is that Trump cannot repeal federal minimum wage laws, nor can he recreate the conditions that make foreign manufacturing cheap. His tariff-based nationalism may appeal emotionally, but economically, it constrains market access and raises prices for everyone.
As a result, the U.S. dollar is being debased — not through monetary printing alone, but through politicization. When a currency becomes an instrument of ideology rather than efficiency, gold and other hard assets begin to outperform.
If this trend continues, Americans may find their dollars buy less at home and more abroad, while global investors turn increasingly to gold as a hedge against the politicization of the world’s reserve currency.
Consider making Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior today.