In this live recording, I walk through what the U.S. economy actually looked like before, during, and after the 2024 election—using hard data, not vibes. Drawing on a detailed Guardian analysis, I trace inflation from the start of the COVID pandemic through Biden’s recovery, the Federal Reserve’s tightrope walk, and the moment Trump re-entered office promising an “economic golden age.” Spoiler: the charts tell a very different story.
Inflation didn’t magically appear under Biden, nor was it “solved” by Trump. It spiked globally after COVID, fell steadily under Democratic governance, and began creeping back up the moment tariffs, threats, and economic chaos returned. I break down how price pain, especially groceries, became detached from reality and instead fueled by corporate greed, selective memory, and a relentlessly lazy media cycle.
We also look at interest rates, job growth, and the chilling effect uncertainty has had on hiring—well before Trump was even sworn in. The throughline is simple and uncomfortable: voters didn’t punish failure; they punished complexity. And in doing so, they handed power back to a man whose economic instincts are driven by impulse, grievance, and stupidity.
This isn’t just an economic story. It’s a warning about what happens when facts lose to frustration—and memory loses to rage.
