Published on: Mon, 04 May 2026 16:47:32 GMT
Original Story: President Trump to celebrate small business owners – Scripps News

Trump ❤️ Small Biz? I’ll Believe It.

So, Donald Trump is suddenly all about the little guy? Color me skeptical. He’s planning to celebrate small business owners, or so the headlines scream. Right. Because nothing screams “support local” like slapping tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, making everything more expensive for everyone, including, you guessed it, small businesses.

Remember the Tariff Tango?

Let’s not forget the good ol’ days of 2018, shall we? Remember the “trade wars are good, and easy to win” rhetoric? Trump, back then, was convinced that tariffs were the magic bullet to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. He argued that these tariffs would protect American jobs and revitalize industries. What actually happened? Supply chains got disrupted, costs soared, and small businesses – the ones that rely on affordable materials to, you know, *make* stuff – got squeezed. And the promised manufacturing renaissance? More like a gentle ripple.

The Ripple Effect of Economic Policy

It’s never a simple equation, is it? When you jack up the cost of raw materials, those costs get passed down the line. Small businesses, often operating on razor-thin margins, have a few choices: absorb the cost and eat into their profits (if they even *have* profits), raise prices and risk losing customers, or, in the worst-case scenario, lay people off. None of those options are particularly appealing, are they? And let’s not even get started on the retaliatory tariffs that other countries slapped on American goods in response. Farmers, another group of “small business owners” conveniently forgotten in this new love-fest, got hammered.

The Tax Cut Conundrum

And while we’re on the subject of economic policies, let’s talk about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Sure, it lowered the corporate tax rate. That sounds great in theory, and some small businesses *did* see a temporary benefit. But the bulk of the benefits went to large corporations and the ultra-wealthy. How did that help the local bakery down the street? Probably not as much as a properly funded infrastructure project would have, or access to affordable healthcare for their employees. Trickle-down economics has always been more of a trickle, if you’re lucky, and a drought, if you’re not.

Beyond the Sound Bites

The reality is that small business ownership is a grind. It’s long hours, constant uncertainty, and the ever-present fear that one unexpected expense could sink the whole operation. What small business owners really need are policies that create a stable and predictable economic environment. They need access to capital, affordable healthcare, and a regulatory framework that isn’t designed to crush them under mountains of paperwork. They don’t need photo ops and empty promises.

The “America First” Fantasy

The “America First” mantra sounds appealing on the surface, but in a globalized economy, it’s a recipe for disaster. Isolating ourselves from the rest of the world doesn’t create jobs; it destroys them. Small businesses that rely on international trade – whether it’s importing specialty ingredients or exporting handcrafted goods – get caught in the crossfire. And let’s be honest, the idea that we can bring back all manufacturing to the U.S. is a pipe dream. Some things are just cheaper to produce elsewhere, and trying to force companies to do otherwise is a losing battle.

The Debt Bomb Ticking

And let’s not forget the national debt, which ballooned under the previous administration. All that “growth” fueled by tax cuts for the rich was built on a foundation of borrowed money. That debt has to be repaid eventually, and guess who’s going to foot the bill? Yep, future generations of small business owners and workers. It’s like throwing a party on a credit card and then leaving the tab for your kids to pay.

So, What’s the Play Here?

Is this sudden embrace of small business genuine, or is it just a calculated move to shore up support ahead of the election? Occam’s Razor suggests the latter. It’s easy to talk about supporting small businesses; it’s much harder to implement policies that actually make a difference. And given the track record, I’m not holding my breath.

The Broken Promises of Yesterday

This isn’t just about tariffs; it’s about a pattern. It’s about promising to drain the swamp while simultaneously filling it with cronies. It’s about pledging to protect American workers while advocating for policies that benefit the wealthy elite. It’s about saying one thing and doing another. And until I see concrete action that aligns with the rhetoric, I’m going to remain deeply, profoundly skeptical.

Snarky Takeaway

Look, I’m all for supporting small businesses. They’re the backbone of our economy. But let’s not pretend that this sudden display of affection is anything more than a political ploy. Actions speak louder than words, and the track record suggests that small businesses are more likely to be collateral damage than beneficiaries of this particular brand of populism. So, forgive me if I don’t break out the confetti just yet. I’ll believe it when I see it…and maybe not even then.