In a combative interview, the former president hinted at even higher tariffs as an economic magic bullet.In a contentious interview, the former president hinted at the possibility of implementing even higher tariffs as a solution to the nation’s economic woes. In recent weeks, Donald J. Trump has been proposing new tax cuts to various groups of voters, causing concern among budget watchers and fiscal hawks who fear the impact on the already ballooning national debt. However, when questioned about the potential cost of his economic promises, Mr. Trump remained unfazed and simply stated that the key to success is growth. Despite skepticism from economists of all political affiliations, the former president confidently asserted that his plans to eliminate taxes on overtime, tips, and Social Security benefits could be covered by a surge in economic output. “I’ve always been good at math,” he told Bloomberg News editor in chief John Micklethwait during an interview at the Economic Club of Chicago. When pressed on how he plans to achieve such growth, Mr. Trump dismissed criticism and expressed his fondness for tariffs, claiming that they would incentivize companies to invest in American manufacturing. However, experts have warned that the national debt, which is currently approaching $36 trillion, could increase by an additional $15 trillion over the next decade if Mr. Trump’s economic agenda is implemented. The Peterson Institute for International Economics, a nonpartisan think tank, also projected that the gross domestic product could decrease by 9.7% if the former president’s plans were put into action, resulting in a decline in consumer demand. The New York Times reports that we are having difficulty retrieving the article content and asks readers to enable JavaScript in their browser settings. If you are in Reader mode, please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for full access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want full access to The Times? Subscribe now. 

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