Donald Trump’s Gilded Age

I can’t say that I am surprised.

A year later, Donald Trump’s “Golden Age” has fully become Gilded Age II. As I look back at my expectations, we are not that far off from where I thought we would be last December.

The Big Beautiful Bill that delivered on tax cuts and border security passed Congress through budget reconciliation in the summer. World War III with Iran, Russia and China didn’t happen in 2025. Trump quickly brought the border under control. There have been multiple “Overton Window victories” that have made it easier to talk about race and Jews. The Jewish Question has gone mainstream on the Right since the Iran strike. The Austin Metcalf, Shiloh Hendrix, Iryna Zartuska and the Cinnabon worker Crystal Wilsey controversies have all been milestones that have illustrated the trend of hardening White racial attitudes. Nick Fuentes was recently interviewed by Piers Morgan and boasted about how he identifies as a racist. Trump has made news lately saying that Somalian immigrants are Garbage Americans.

My only regret is being too optimistic in the spring that Trump would break out of the pattern of thermostatic politics in his second term and build a durable governing majority. This was always inconsistent with my prediction that we were entering Gilded Age II. The first Gilded Age was a time of rising income inequality, political extremism and assassinations, legislative gridlock and political volatility. American society became more racist and nativist while simultaneously becoming more miserable at a material level. It was a great time for the rich. The stock market has also been great this year.

Everything that I thought would happen on the economy in 2025 has happened. The GOP passed their precious tax cuts. Gas prices are low. Trump went wild with tariffs. Trump went out of his way all year to unfetter AI development for the tech bros. He is now taking a beating in the polls because none of this was ever a real solution to crushing inflation and the decline in our standard of living.

Glenn Beck interviewing an AI simulacrum of George Washington while Republicans continue to get massacred in special elections symbolizes where we are now. The worst fears of the Trump blackpillers didn’t come true in 2025. No one died storming the beaches of Iran for Israel. Nevertheless, the country is in a foul mood because life hasn’t gotten any better for the ordinary American.

Note: I apologize for my absence here. I haven’t felt inspired to write anything about American politics for weeks now. Christmas is also always the busiest time of the year.

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