Staff Reports
President Donald Trump is once again shaking things up with a bold proposal that might just make those pesky income taxes a relic of the past. The idea? Collect revenue from tariffs on adversarial countries instead of from the hard-working American taxpayers. In a recent interview with Fox News, Trump floated the idea that if his current tariffs do their job and finally restore some balance to trade, it could lead to a scenario where income taxes vanish altogether. Now that’s a curveball most conservative Americans might be giddy about.
Historically, before the federal income tax made its awkward debut in 1913, tariffs were the primary source of revenue for the U.S. government from roughly 1870 to 1913. During those glory days, the nation flourished, and less than 1% of Americans were on the tax hook. Trump reminded everyone that this was when America was at its wealthiest, suggesting that perhaps returning to that model could be the golden ticket to revitalizing the economy. The idea of slapping taxes on foreign imports instead of American paychecks has a certain ring to it.
It’s no surprise that the average American is bearing the brunt of the federal income tax, with the tax code being set up in such a way that the top 1% pays a staggering 46% of all federal income taxes. Contrarily, the top 50% of earners are basically footing the entire bill for the government. With all these inflated numbers, it seems like a breath of fresh air when Trump hints at offloading some of that burden to foreign adversaries who have been playing dirty in the trade game for years.
BREAKING: President Trump Says Tariffs May Replace Income Taxhttps://t.co/bP4D647vlw
— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) April 15, 2025
The “Liberation Day” of April 2nd earlier this year marked a turning point where Trump imposed historically high tariffs on imports, especially targeting China, the real villain in the trade saga. China, of course, responded with their own retaliation, but Trump is already looking at ways to clear the deck, exempting certain high-tech goods vital to America’s future. This could signify that while tariffs remain stringent, America’s innovators won’t be stifled.
Further supporting the notion that money could flow back into Americans’ pockets, Trump has also teased the possibility of the Department of Government Efficiency spearheading something he calls “DOGE Dividends.” This concept sounds suspiciously like a smart way to entice the public to report on wasteful spending, and if it were to come to fruition, it could mean substantial checks for families across the country. The implication is clear: American taxpayers shouldn’t have to shoulder the financial load alone—especially when there’s a wealth of revenue sitting at the gates of global trade.
