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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Trump’s Flawed Claim that Tariffs Made the U.S. Its ‘Richest’

Trump’s Flawed Claim that Tariffs Made the U.S. Its ‘Richest’

In arguing for more tariffs on goods imported to the United States, President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. was its “richest” or “wealthiest” during the late 1800s and early 1900s because of tariffs. In multiple ways, his claim is wrong or misleading.