Final question: “Will the plan work? I don’t know.” “But is there a plan? Yes.” And maybe, for the first time in 50 years, America is betting on itself.

That man is Scott Bessent, Trump’s Treasury Secretary. “He’s the clearest voice I’ve ever heard,” Will says. “He lays out the plan better than anyone else I’ve seen.” Bessent gave longform interviews this weekend. Here’s what he revealed. 👇

First: the diagnosis. “$36 trillion in debt. A middle class drowning in credit cards. Hollowed-out towns. Brain drain. Fentanyl. Ghost factories.” Will: “This is not a sustainable model. At minimum, it leads to volatility. At maximum: civil war.”

The current system is a casino. “Almost everyone I know in markets, when they take truth serum, will tell you: it’s all fugazi. Fake.” PE ratios in the 30s and 50s. No correlation to reality. Will: “The economy needs to right size. That may look like a collapse.”

And here’s the bold plan: “We put tariffs across the board to scare the hell out of everyone.” “And now, 70 countries are running to the table trying to get deals.” Deals that are tailored. Case by case. Country by country. On America’s terms.

Trump has since paused those tariffs for countries that have agreed to come to the table. But not China. “They are in recession. Possibly depression.” “104% tariffs crush China. They are the surplus country. They need us.” Bessent: “They have the most imbalanced economy in the history of the modern world… This escalation is a loser for them.”

Trump’s approach? Pure negotiation psychology. Will: “Like Littlefinger in Game of Thrones, Trump believes chaos is a ladder.” “He doesn’t define a win, so he can proclaim one, regardless of the outcome.” Keep them guessing. Force better deals.

And what happens if China doesn’t fold? “Trade wars can lead to depressions. They’ve also led to kinetic war.” Will recalls: “The U.S. embargoed oil to Japan in the 1930s… boxed them in… and they bombed Pearl Harbor.” What happens if we box in China?

This isn’t just about economics. It’s a reordering of the world. “We’re at the poker table. And we’re shoving all our chips into the middle.” The bet: America regains leverage. The middle class gets rebuilt. And the U.S. defines the next world order.

Can it work? “Where we were headed wasn’t going to work. That I know.” Will again: “I don’t want the soul of America decayed by a social safety net.” “I want dignity. Purpose. Jobs.” “And that means making things again.”

The wild card? Weak Republicans. “Seven GOP senators, led by Rand Paul, are trying to pull the rug out.” “That’s panic. The same kind we’re seeing in the markets.” Will: “Don’t let ad hoc fear kill a plan with the guts to win.”

We were doomed without Trump. I say this as someone who voted Dem for 40 years. I have now voted for Trump in the last three elections. It is almost impossible to think of a leader who would take this bet politically. He is fierce, he is unpredictable, he is more intelligent than he lets on. But most importantly, like JFK, he has surrounded himself with a cabinet of bright, energetic, minds. I have faith in Trump. He has faced headwinds that would have defeated pretty much anyone, if anyone is going to get us over this hurdle, it is him.

A rundown of Donald Trump’s biggest campaign promises and whether he has or hasn’t delivered.

Good stuff Will! Keep it coming

I am so disgusted by @SenThomTillis position on tariffs. @SecScottBessent lays it out clearly - a risk YES, but the alternative is total collapse. @SenThomTillis owes it to our 3 generations of constituents to support @POTUS. He’ll be hearing from us today!

WE ALL HAVE- FAITH ! :) 🇺🇸🌻

This is, after the fact, rationalisation, what we know is that a reckless group with power is prepared to wreck the world economy. The world will not let this happen again.

Nice story. Little resemblance to what actually occurred over the last week but all your favourite characters were there. Even a 'new' hero. Delivered in the 'retrospective excuse style' the fifth grader gives after he's caught with the canteen money. - Probably appropriate.

Smoot-Hawley did not lead to the great depression. People need to stop saying this

Nice one, Will!👏 As for Rand Paul et al Opposing tariffs on the altar of one's libertarian ideals is inexplicable. One must deal w/the world as it exists, not the world one imagines. In reality, IF the US did nothing, free trade would still NOT exist. IF the US does tariff negotiations, a world closer to free trade has a chance.

The numbers don’t favor competition. Cooperative endeavor focused on mutually beneficial outcomes for both nations would be best.