Trump and DOGE Test the Theory That the President Doesn’t Control Our Economy

Economists have a well-known saying: Presidents don’t control the economy.

Millions of consumers, business owners, investors and other decision-makers collectively shape the economy’s ups and downs. Changes in tax laws and spending policies typically bear fruit over years or decades, not months. And much of the business cycle remains mysterious even to experts.

But President Donald Trump’s recent actions suggest he intends to put economists’ maxim to the test. In fact, the president is launching simultaneous attacks against more components of the American economy than any president in history.