In an exclusive interview with NBC News airing Sunday, President Donald Trump took credit for what he called the “good parts” of the economy but laid the blame for the “bad parts” on former President Joe Biden’s economy.
Trump defended his tariffs, which have caused economic uncertainty, stating that they are a key factor in strengthening the U.S. economy in the long term.
“Ultimately, I take responsibility for everything, but I’ve only just been here for a little more than three months,” Trump said. “The tariffs have just started kicking in. … The tariffs are going to make us rich. We’re going to be a very rich country,” he added.
Shifting Blame to Biden
Trump’s remarks are not the first instance of him attempting to shift the blame for economic issues onto his predecessor. Just last week, Trump pointed to Biden as the cause of the U.S. economy contracting in the first quarter of the year.
During the interview, Trump also doubled down on comments he made earlier in the week at a Cabinet meeting, where he dismissed concerns that his tariffs would lead to supply shortages. He argued that children don’t need excessive quantities of toys or supplies, suggesting that his policies would encourage more thoughtful consumption rather than overconsumption.
“I don’t think a beautiful baby girl needs – that’s 11 years old – needs to have 30 dolls,” Trump said. “I’m just saying [children] don’t need to have 30 dolls, they can have three, they don’t need to have 250 pencils, they can have five,” he added.
Trump downplayed the potential long-term negative impacts of his tariffs on the U.S. economy, even if the country faces a recession in the short term. “Look, yeah, it’s — everything’s OK. What we are — I said, this is a transition period. I think we’re going to do fantastically,” he told Welker.
Author’s Opinion
Trump’s continuous attempts to shift blame for economic issues to Biden, while taking credit for the “good parts,” may undermine confidence in his leadership. Economic policies, especially those that affect tariffs, require long-term strategy and consistency. Instead of focusing on assigning blame, more effort should be spent on clearly addressing the issues at hand and finding solutions that benefit all sectors of the economy.
Featured image credit: Heute
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