Manufacturing, Immigration, low Prices, Why Trump Will Fail

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   peoplepower73posted 8 hours ago

   I read this article in The Business Insider as to why Trump's three goals of Manufacturing, Immigration, and Lowering Consumer Prices will not work together. 
   
   The actual article is quite lengthily, but I have provided the link at the end of this discussion for those of you who are interested.  Here is the summary,
   
   ---Trump's Economic Trilemma: Manufacturing, Immigration, and Prices
   
   **Core Argument:** 
   
   Trump is pursuing three conflicting goals: 
   1. **Boost U.S. manufacturing** 
   2. **Reduce immigration** 
   3. **Keep consumer prices low** 
   
   Economists argue he can’t achieve all three simultaneously—at least not without major tradeoffs.
   
   ---Manufacturing vs. Immigration
   
   - Trump wants foreign companies to build factories in the U.S., using tariffs as leverage.
   
   - But immigration crackdowns—like the raid on Hyundai’s $7.6B Georgia plant—are scaring off investors and delaying operations.
   
   - High-tech industries (e.g. semiconductors, EVs) need skilled foreign workers to launch U.S. facilities. Blocking visas like H-1B undermines this.
   
   --- Immigration vs. Prices
   
   - Many manufacturing and construction jobs rely on immigrant labor.
   
   - Restricting immigration shrinks the labor pool, driving up wages and production costs.
   
   - With fewer workers, companies either raise prices or move operations abroad.
   
   ---
   Tariffs vs. Prices
   
   
   - Tariffs raise costs on imported goods, which domestic producers often match.
   
   - Example: Trump’s 2018 washing machine tariffs raised prices on both washers and dryers—even U.S.-made ones.
   
   - Tariffs also reduce product variety and shift labor away from sectors like healthcare, where demand is rising.
   
   Public Opinion & Policy Contradictions
   
   - Americans want more manufacturing but don’t want the jobs.- They support lower immigration but also want low prices.
   
   - The administration’s policies—tariffs, visa fees, raids—create uncertainty and erode trust among investors.
   
   ---Expert Takeaways
   
   - Economists say the policies are “bad for consumers, full stop.”
   
   - Immigration restrictions and blunt trade tools risk slowing growth and raising costs.
   
   - The White House disputes this trilemma, citing post-WWII growth and Asian tariff models—but experts say those comparisons don’t hold water anymore.
   
   Here is the link to the entire article.
   
   https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-i … omy-2025-9

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      Credence2posted 6 hours agoin reply to this

      Excellent outline, thank you, PeoplePower…

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         peoplepower73posted 4 hours agoin reply to this

         Thank you for dropping by. I appreciate your replies in the discussions.

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   Sharlee01posted 3 hours ago

   Interesting thread
   
   I’ve read the argument that Trump’s three goals, boosting U.S. manufacturing, reducing immigration, and keeping consumer prices low, cannot work together, but I strongly disagree. First, on manufacturing versus immigration, the claim is that immigration crackdowns scare off foreign investment and make it impossible to grow U.S. factories. From my perspective, that’s simply not true. America has over six million unemployed citizens and millions more underemployed, many of whom could be trained for factory work if companies had the right incentives. Foreign companies invest in the U.S. because it’s the largest consumer market, not just to exploit cheap labor. Trump’s tariffs actually force these companies to invest in American workers and infrastructure, and skilled labor shortages can still be addressed with targeted visas without open borders. In my view, demanding that companies employ Americans is exactly what should happen.
   
   Regarding immigration and prices, many argue that restricting immigration automatically drives wages up and raises costs for consumers. I see it differently. Productivity gains and automation already replace millions of low-skilled jobs, meaning factories don’t need massive labor pools. Higher wages are a positive for American families, and even if prices rise slightly, workers’ stronger paychecks more than make up for it. Allowing unchecked immigration to flood the labor market only depresses wages and benefits corporations, not American workers. You cannot argue that Americans need higher wages and then claim immigration restrictions will destroy the economy, that’s contradictory.
   
   On tariffs versus prices, critics often point to the 2018 washing machine example, but I think they cherry-pick short-term data. While prices did rise temporarily, domestic production expanded, and more Americans were hired. Strategic tariffs are not about making goods more expensive; they’re about rebuilding U.S. supply chains and protecting national security. Cheap goods are worthless if Americans have no jobs and essential products come from countries like China. A little higher cost today is a small price for economic independence and security.
   
   People also say that Americans’ goals are contradictory: wanting more manufacturing, lower immigration, and low prices. But history shows this isn’t true. After WWII, America controlled immigration, grew manufacturing, and created the strongest middle class in history. Asian nations like Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan rebuilt their economies through tariffs, protected industries, and careful labor management. Critics dismiss these comparisons, but I think they hold up; nations prosper when they put their citizens first. The real contradiction isn’t in Trump’s policies, it’s in the globalist mindset that says we can’t grow manufacturing without cheap foreign labor or imports.
   
   In the end, I don’t see this as a “trilemma.” The idea that these goals conflict is mostly a talking point from economists and corporations who profit off outsourcing and cheap labor. From my perspective, Trump’s approach is about rebuilding America’s middle class, securing our supply chains, and ensuring we aren’t dependent on foreign nations. A small increase in prices is worth it if it keeps jobs in America. Immigration should serve America’s interests, and tariffs protect our industries and national security. That’s not a trilemma; that’s a strategy for American survival and prosperity.

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