Key Points: President Trump’s economic messaging has shifted from 2024 campaign promises of immediate prosperity to now acknowledging potential short-term pain for long-term gain under his tariff policies.
-This contrasts with earlier assurances of a “golden age” without sacrifice. He now suggests measures like families buying fewer dolls, famously stating young girls “don’t need 37 dolls,” and that “sometimes you have to take medicine.”
-This evolving rhetoric has drawn criticism, with figures like former Pence aide Marc Short highlighting the disconnect, and commentators pointing out that most toys, including American Girl dolls, are made in China and subject to tariffs.
Donald Trump Is in Trouble on the Economy
Over the last few weeks, we have covered pretty extensively the trials and tribulations of Donald Trump and some of the problems he has, from the economy to impeachment threats.
But now things are getting odd.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump talked a lot about an upcoming return to prosperity. He promised to restore the economy of his first term—or at least, the pre-COVID part of his first term—and to unleash American opportunity and potential.
Trump promised tax cuts, economic growth, an end to inflation, and good things for the middle class. He certainly talked about tariffs, but as a way to bring about prosperity, and not as anything that would cause any type of short-term pain.
“Your paychecks will be higher, your streets will be safer and cleaner, your communities will be richer, and your future as an American will be much better than it ever has been when I get in,” the president said at his final rally in November, as noted by the Washington Post. “Because this will be the golden age of America.”
Trump, in other words, did not talk on the 2024 campaign trail, at any point, about the need to sacrifice or that his economic program would cause any type of short-term pain.
But now, he is talking about that, including his bizarre, repeated fixation on the number of dolls that little girls will be able to own under his tariff regime.
The Doll Economy and Trump
“All I’m saying is that a young lady, a 10-year-old-girl, 9-year-old girl, 15-year-old-girl, doesn’t need 37 dolls,” Trump told reporters earlier this week, likely revealing something surprising about the number of dolls his daughters enjoyed back when they were young.
“She could be very happy with two or three or four or five.”
In other recent comments, Trump stated that “eventually [America] will be the most dominant country economically in the world … But sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.”
According to a Post analysis published Tuesday, Trump has been talking more about the need for short-term pain ahead of the long-term prosperity that he believes will be brought about by his tariff policies.
This was, needless to say, not something that Trump ever talked about on the campaign trail last year. The closest he came was a December Meet the Press interview, after the election, where he was asked about tariffs causing prices to rise, and he answered, “I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow.”
One person quoted in the story, former Mike Pence aide Marc Short, noted that Trump himself isn’t likely to feel the pain or sacrifice himself- especially since his memecoin has generated massive wealth.
“I think it’s particularly optically difficult when the president is earning a billion dollars in crypto while asking Americans to cut back on toys and products for kids,” Short told the Post. “That seems like a disconnect to me.”
Where Dolls Are Made
Trump’s doll obsession led to a memorable cable news moment on Monday night.
Batya Ungar-Sargon, a formerly liberal pundit who has taken to arguing, no matter what the circumstances, that Trump is a sincere tribune of the working class, appeared on CNN Monday, when the president’s doll comments came up.
“Every rich person I know, their daughter has two or three dolls, maybe a couple American Girl dolls, two or three expensive nice dolls, and no crap from China,” she said. “But if you go into a broke person’s house, that floor is littered with broken toys from The Dollar Store.”
In response, former New York Times columnist Charles Blow replied, “That’s the worst worst worst worst worst defense of Donald Trump,” adding that China makes 80 percent of all toys sold in America, and a huge percentage of holiday gifts as well. “It’s giving Scrooge vibes,” he added.
As numerous people pointed out on social media, American Girl dolls are made in Shenzhen, China, and have been for many years. And even before they were made in China, the dolls were, despite their name, made in Rodental, Germany.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter
