In 1915, the U.S. was largely self-sufficient, producing most of its goods domestically. Today, the economy is deeply integrated into global trade. Try to reach that mark today and prices would skyrocket.

Unlike an income tax, which targets earnings, tariffs act as a consumption tax—businesses pass the costs on to consumers. Inflation would rise, hitting lower- and middle-income households the hardest.

While tariffs can be a useful tool for targeted trade policy, they are no longer a viable primary revenue source in a globalized economy. The U.S. government is simply too large, and modern economic structures are too interconnected.

And DOGE seems busy targeting agencies that were investigating and/or suing Elon.