Thread by @JohnnyHeinlein

Is Trump Officially A 'Lame Duck' via @YouTube

Young people's support for Donald Trump is tanking?

Grok: No, it's already tanked
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"By mid-2025, the "honeymoon" ended abruptly. Trump's net approval among 18-29-year-olds started the year positive (e.g., +8-10 in January-February) but has since cratered to -40% to -55% by October-November, a 50-63 point swing."

The young working man's America under Trump: What is going the right way, and what is going wrong?
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"Young men, once Trump's strongest youth demographic (56% support in 2024), have soured fastest, citing unmet promises on affordability and opportunity. "

Are Trump's policies random/symbolic; crony capitalist; libertarian or something else?

Grok: Something else and "risky for sustained growth."
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"This isn't coherent ideology—it's "pain and tribute": Inflict economic chaos (tariffs spike prices 5-9%), demand concessions, enrich the inner circle."

"Approval among young workers (key 2024 base) has tanked to -55% net, with X frustration over "betrayal" of free markets."

"Trump's approach is "something else": A boss's economy, where the state is the ultimate dealmaker. It's effective for power consolidation but risky for sustained growth."

"they form a hybrid: state capitalism with authoritarian mercantilist flavors, blending protectionism, government steering of private enterprise, and personalistic rule."

If the young working men don't get "the plan" (at all), who get's the plan the most, and who benefit the most from this "plan"?
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"the real beneficiaries are clearer: Trump's inner circle of billionaire allies, corporate titans, and ideological enablers."

"The "plan" flows upward: Policies generate revenue and opportunities for the elite (e.g., $880B in tax cuts skewed to the top 5%), while offloading costs onto everyday Americans via inflation, program cuts, and debt."

"Project 2025's 922-page Mandate for Leadership (with 140+ Trump alumni contributors) outlines consolidating power, slashing regulations, and rewarding allies. Trump has nominated dozens with direct ties, using its personnel database for hires. "

"Who Benefits the Most? The Top 1% and Strategic Sectors"

"Tariffs generate $215B revenue but slow GDP 0.5%, costing middle-income families $22K-$58K lifetime in lost wages. "

"Young working men "don't get the plan" because it's not for them—it's a patronage system where loyalty buys access, and chaos (tariffs sparking market crashes, DOGE firings) masks extraction."

Explain Project 2025 details
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I don't really see this plan as a problem for the economy as such. The above is mostly about conservatism vs. leftism
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"P2025's libertarian streaks (decentralization, deregulation) are real bright spots for curbing big government, but the economic package tilts toward elite capture and volatility—hiking debt, gutting safety nets, and risking recessions that hit young workers [...] hardest."

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