Trump Declares Economy A 'Rocket Ship' Ignoring Affordable Reality Gas Stations Disagree

KEY POINTS

•Trump and advisers rely on a July stimulus bill to spark economic growth starting next year.
•Treasury Secretary Bessent predicts up to $2,000 refunds for some Americans in tax season 2026.
•Despite improved wages and low unemployment, voters complain about higher grocery and energy costs.

President Trump and his White House dream team are treating the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' signed in July like a magic wand ready to launch the economy into next year like a 'rocket ship.' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicts Americans might pocket up to $2,000 during next tax season, thanks to extended 2017 tax cuts and niche freebies for Social Security keepers, tip earners, and overtime warriors. Capital expenditures supposedly surged 15% since January, though independent fact-checkers throw a polite 8% correction. Meanwhile, AI-fueled stock markets are expected to soar, presumably powered by Trump’s hearty endorsements. Yet while Trump calls affordability talk a 'hoax' and 'con job,' voters insist groceries and electricity have tagged along for a steep price hike rollercoaster. Taxes on tips? Overtime? Social Security? Analysts warn these tax breaks are gifts that may keep on taking. Not to be outdone, Trump’s Pennsylvania speech stepped on its own branding, throwing shade at Somalian welfare claimants and calling his predecessor 'sleepy'—altogether proof you can gaslight entire economies but not deliver clean political monologues.