By Antjuan Seawright, Columnist
Like most of America, I heard President Trump announce a “Golden Age of America” in his State of the Union last month. I heard him claim that “Our nation is back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before,” I saw the MAGA Republicans in the audience jump to their feet in thunderous applause and I agreed with a lot of America that it was further proof of Trump’s further decline into delusion with the GOP willing to cheer anything he said no matter how ridiculous.
But that’s not the whole story, is it?
Don’t get me wrong, I can see the facts as well as anyone. I can see that, despite Trump’s claims, that consumer confidence is historically low and his approval ratings are underwater on the economy and a variety of issues.
I can see Americans suffering from the affordability crisis as the cost of heating, housing, childcare, groceries and more continue to skyrocket out of reach. I can see 25 million Americans with nowhere to turn as their health insurance premiums double or worse because Trump and the GOP refused to extend the ACA subsidies we count on.
Keep in mind that Trump just kicked off an endless war that’s costing $891.4 million per day. To put that in perspective, three months of this war will cost more than extending the ACA subsidies for three years.
Then I saw the February Jobs report. I saw that our economy actually lost 92,000 jobs in February in addition to the 108,435 Americans who were laid off in January. I saw that every major industry group lost jobs last month as unemployment ticked up yet again with young people and minorities suffering the most.
In fact, even when you count the periodic signs of life, the U.S. economy hasn’t added jobs since April and our country’s 4.4% unemployment rate is one of the highest we’ve seen since 2021.
How could anybody look at this and call it a “Golden Age?”
That’s when it hit me.
You see, while most Americans are suffering, corporate profits are soaring. Layoffs may be bad news for us, but for CEOs looking to cut labor costs they’re welcome news. That’s why the gap between workers wages and corporate profits hasn’t been this wide since WWII.
The truth is that the richest Americans aren’t suffering like we are. In fact, they’re getting richer.
For them, this is a “Golden Age.” That’s who President Trump was talking to. That’s who the MAGA Republicans were cheering…not working America. We’re just paying for it.
