Will Americans heed Trump’s request for forbearance?

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he president who had promised in his inaugural address that “the Golden Age of America begins right now” was all of a sudden suggesting that “there will be a little disturbance, but we’re OK with that.” Trump’s economic team also chimed in; his Treasury secretary said the economy might need a “detox” period, while his billionaire Commerce secretary said a recession would be “worth it” (and also that his mother-in-law would not mind missing her Social Security check).


Now Trump is moving to impose massive additional tariffs whatsapp number list this week, and consumer confidence is plunging as vertiginously as the markets. Economic forecasters are issuing growing warnings of both recession and inflation.


When it comes to the economy, the emergence, depth and reach of hard times will become clear in the coming months. But as a political matter, history shows that it is highly dangerous for a president to offer the prospect of sacrifice in the cause of long-term benefits. Even when the case for suffering is due to a legitimate threat to national survival, Americans are a lot more willing to endure the theoretical impact than the reality. Trump, in fact, may be even more likely than his predecessors to bear the brunt of the public’s impatience.