"Wall Street's done great. It can continue doing well, but it's Main Street's turn." This captures the core philosophy behind the tariff strategy. Bessent highlights a stark reality he witnessed firsthand during 2023:

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's interview with Tucker Carlson just went viral. And he's NOT just talking about Trump's tariffs. Instead, he exposed the truth about what happened to America's working class. Here is what you missed on Trump's $600B tariff plan: 🧵

It started with a bombshell: “For years, the American middle class has been eviscerated.” Bessent says this isn’t politics — it’s backed by hard data. The 2004 “China shock” wrecked U.S. manufacturing, and workers never recovered...

Now the data confirms what many felt for years. While elites thrived, middle America saw: • Declining life expectancy • Collapsing local economies • Parents losing faith in their kids' futures The Treasury’s answer? A $600B rethink...

Trump’s tariff plan could generate $300–600B/year — mostly from foreign producers. MIT data backs it up: his earlier 20% China tariffs raised prices just 0.7%. And in a 10% scenario, the burden breaks down like this:

• Foreign producers eat ~4% • Foreign currencies absorb ~4% • American consumers pay ~2% in one-time price adjustments That revenue could offset domestic taxes. But the real plan goes beyond raising money...

The goal isn’t endless tariffs. It’s reshoring. “Bring your factory here” is Trump’s real message. Initially, tariff revenue will be substantial, but as factories relocate to America, two things will happen:

1. Tariff revenue naturally decreases 2. Domestic tax revenue increases from new jobs and business activity The trade deficit shrinks, manufacturing returns, and American workers see real wage growth. This represents a shift in economic priorities:

Record numbers of Americans took European vacations. Simultaneously, food banks saw unprecedented demand - not just from homeless, but from working families. As Bessent notes: "That's not a great America." And the solution isn't handouts:

Bessent rejects what he calls the Democratic "compensate the loser" approach. "I don't think the bottom 50% of Americans are losers. The system hasn't worked for them." His vision is about fixing a broken system through smart tariffs:

"Economic security is national security." While implementation might be bumpy (Bessent compares it to Reagan's initially controversial policies)... The team believes America's economic landscape will change within 4 years...

If you're in crypto, pay attention. Tariffs. Reshoring. National security. This shift toward economic sovereignty is part of a larger pattern — one where centralized systems break, and decentralized alternatives rise. Crypto isn't isolated from this... it's a response to it.

A bit about me: I spent 15 years in tech and blockchain & built a Web3 company to 7 figures without VC funding or tokens. Now I share insights on tech entrepreneurship and building in Web3. Follow me @constantine_rm for lessons from the trenches, not theory.

Video credits (YouTube): • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Breaks Down Trump's Tariff Plan and Its Impact on the Middle Class

Wall Street ain't ready for this... Coinbase launched Base ~1 year ago This Layer 2 blockchain has raked in ~$1.2M every week on average Now Wall Street is FOMOing into crypto. Front run them by reading Milk Road. 5 minutes. Every day. For free.

[The decline started when China stole NVDA IP and made their own product called, “Deep Seek”.]

So imposing an enormous tax on consumer goods will improve the lives of the middle class? How?

This was one of my favorite parts of the interview!