Conservative Economist Has ‘A Lot Of Confidence’ Trump Would Be Bad For Wallets

An economist at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute think-tank spelled out the negative consequence that Donald Trump’s policies may have on Americans’ wallets should the former president and now-presumptive GOP presidential nominee return to the White House.

Trump has repeatedly promised during his 2024 campaign to bust inflation.

But Michael Strain, the AEI’s director of economic policy studies, told The New York Times in an article published Saturday: “I think we can say with a lot of confidence that President Trump’s trade policies and immigration policies would result in price spikes.”

Trump’s proposal to deport between 15 and 20 million undocumented immigrants would “cause a severe supply shock to the labor market, which could increase the overall cost of living,” the newspaper quoted Strain as predicting.

Trump, however, has talked about slapping a 10% tariff on all imports into the United States, a move that other economists have suggested would also contribute to rising prices.