Newsweek
... The broadest case against the collapse narrative starts with real GDP
per capita, which reached $70,502 in the first quarter of 2026,
according to Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) data. ... it is hard to describe an economy as broadly broken when the
country is producing more inflation-adjusted output per person than at
any point before. ...
If GDP per capita were making America great again, you'd expect it to look more like it did in the post-war from 1947-1984, when we routinely had years with percent change above 4%.
Since 1984 we were lucky to get 3% years, and after the Great Recession 2%.
The trend since the Trump tax reform in 2017 is flat, merely a continuation of the status quo ante where a 2% year is a win.
This is a picture of an aging economy which has slowed down like an old person slows down. It's still managing, but one of these days it's going to need a nursing home.
The idea that more tax cuts will stimulate domestic economic growth has been proven wrong by the Reagan tax cuts. His cuts fueled foreign economic growth, because our rich people weren't very patriotic about what they did with their money.
Economic growth requires domestic investment. And we need smart people who know how to coerce that with tax and broader public policies.
Donald Trump is not that guy.
