Rich As Hell? The Real Cost Of The Trade War

by Seneca Moraleda-Puguan

“Tariff is the most beautiful word to me in the dictionary… because tariffs are gonna make us rich as hell,” declared President Donald Trump during the Inauguration Day parade at Capitol Hill Arena on January 20.

But what Mr. Trump calls “beautiful” now seems like the most dreaded word in the global vocabulary—sending stock markets spiraling and economies trembling.

“A vote for Trump will mean your groceries will be cheaper,” he promised on the campaign trail.

That promise has been broken.

Instead, prices on nearly all commodities—especially imported goods—are soaring. The American consumer is bearing the brunt.

“We’re gonna win so much, you may even get tired of winning,” he once declared. “And you’ll say, ‘Please, it’s too much winning!’… But I’ll say, ‘No, it isn’t! We have to win more!’”

Yet, with the current state of global trade, no one is winning. Everyone is losing—and losing hard.

President Trump, in many ways, is a walking contradiction.

Lately, I’ve been watching more news on tariffs than the Korean dramas I usually binge.

In just a few days, I’ve absorbed more economics than I ever expected… learning how this trade war is anything but “beautiful.” It’s not making America rich; it’s making its consumers pay more.

Does President Trump truly believe other countries are the ones footing the bill?

In reality, it’s American importers—businesses and ultimately everyday citizens—who absorb the cost.

Even the logic behind the tariff formula they used to compute what other countries charge the US feels shaky, even to someone without a background in economics.

The math is misleading, and the rhetoric assumes the public won’t notice.

I’m not an American. I don’t live in America.

But I’m concerned, baffled, and anxious. Now that China has retaliated, the trade war is escalating, and its ripple effects are being felt across the globe.

I live in Switzerland—a nation known for stability—but I know even we won’t be immune to the consequences of these decisions.

Build factories in America? Bring manufacturing back? That’s easier said than done.

Factories cost billions and take years to establish.

Does the U.S. have all the necessary raw materials? Can they afford to deport immigrants and still find labor for these industries? Will companies be willing to pay high wages to American workers?

I’m not an economist, but these are common-sense questions that need to be asked.

Trump wants to make America great again, but can greatness be achieved through isolationism? Through competition instead of cooperation? Through blaming allies and breaking ties?

I’m not even an American, but oh my—this is deeply troubling.

Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt and assume there’s a master plan, the question remains: How long can Americans endure the pain? How long before this “medicine,” as he calls it, begins to work—if it ever does?

Amidst the uncertainty, I remind myself not to place my hope in political leaders.

Yes, economies may falter, and the world may teeter toward recession, but my hope is anchored in the Lord—whose economy is not of this world, whose sovereignty remains unshaken, and whose plans never fail even when human leaders do.

Hopefully, this trade war remains a diplomatic issue and does not escalate into armed conflict. Lord, have mercy.