Trump's 1890s Remark Rebuked Online: 'Such Ignorant Thinking'

Former President Donald Trump's recent remarks praising President William McKinley's economic policies in the 1890s sparked criticism on social media.

During a town hall event at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, on Friday, Trump praised the tariff-intensive economic approach of the late 19th century, particularly under McKinley, a Republican. The visit was part of Trump's 10th trip to the battleground state and underscored the importance of the Great Lakes State to his election strategy.

“In the 1890s, our country was probably the richest country that ever existed because there was a system of tariffs,” said Trump, the Republican Party presidential candidate. “We had a president, you know, McKinley? Remember Mount McKinley? He was a very good businessman and made billions of dollars at the time. We were a very wealthy country back then.” Mount McKinley, now officially called Denali, was named after the 25th president.

Trump's comments were part of a broader discussion about manufacturing and job creation in the United States. The former president, who has long supported protectionist trade policies, said imposing tariffs would help bring manufacturing jobs back to America and stimulate the economy.

“We need a set of smart tariffs and taxes,” Trump told the audience, many of whom were auto workers worried about job security amid industry changes and economic pressures.

However, Trump's praise for 19th-century economic policies quickly drew sharp criticism from various parts of the internet, including from historians and economists who questioned his characterization of the McKinley economy.

Former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele took to And I wonder why we do this. “Do we continue to subject ourselves to such ignorant thinking?”

Steele, a Trump critic, also questioned why Americans “continue to adopt Trump's regressive view of America and its citizens” and “make excuses for the lies and liars.”

Newsweek emailed Trump's spokesman and Steele's office on Saturday seeking comment.

While tariffs can protect certain industries in the short term, they can also lead to higher costs for consumers and possible retaliation from trading partners. The Peterson Institute for International Economics has estimated that a 20 percent tariff could increase annual costs for the average American family by $2,600 due to higher prices.

TJ Stiles, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian, disputed Trump's claims about No, it wasn't the richest time in America.” . No, McKinley was not a businessman.

Stiles pointed out that McKinley's first major tariff bill, which he wrote while in Congress, “partially cost Republicans the House of Representatives and the White House.” The historian pointed to the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890, which increased tariffs on imported goods by about 50 percent and contributed to significant political losses for the Republican Party in the following election.

Contrary to Trump's portrayal of the 1890s as an era of unprecedented wealth, the United States experienced a severe economic crisis from 1893 to 1897. Journalist Paul Farhi noted on Friday at 10 percent for five years.”

The Depression of 1893 was one of the worst economic downturns in American history. According to the Economic History Association, the unemployment rate was above 10 percent for half a decade, a level of persistently high unemployment that was not reached again until the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The economic downturn began in January 1893 and lasted until June 1894, followed by a brief period of growth. However, a second recession occurred from December 1895 to June 1897. Real gross national product (GNP) fell by about 4 percent from 1892 to 1893 and by another 6 percent from 1893 to 1894. Despite a recovery in 1895, the economy contracted again by about 2.5 percent from 1895 to 1896.

The impact on the average American was significant. Due to population growth of about 2 percent per year, real gross national product per person did not exceed the 1892 level until 1899. Immigration, which averaged over 500,000 people per year in the 1880s, fell to an average of just 270,000 from 1894 to 1898.

This period was marked by violent strikes, political unrest, and widespread social and intellectual developments, making the Depression of 1893 a turning point in American history.