Op-ed:

Even Great Presidents Make Mistakes...Part One

By Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor

 The article posted here is the authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google   

Let me begin by saying that I voted for President Donald J. Trump three times, and would vote for him a fourth time if it was constitutionally allowed. I also think that as president he has done an amazing job when it comes to securing our southern border, removing those here illegally, cracking down on crime in America's cities, cutting bureaucratic wasteful spending, and in his striving to bring global peace. However, here I must add that Donald Trump, in his position as president, is not perfect...nobody is...in regards to what are two areas of growing concern to many Americans, as in the economy and the Israel/Hamas ceasefire that is anything but a ceasefire let alone a pathway to lasting peace.

In this 'Part One' of what is a two part series, I will first focus on the economy. And with that said, remember back to the 2024 presidential campaign when then candidate Donald Trump promised to reduce government expenditures by eliminating certain agencies; slashing federal regulations; ending spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives; and cutting what he called “fraudulent spending”...all of which were indeed promises kept. In fact, as per the U,S. Treasury Department, “year-over-year federal spending growth” has declined during Trump’s first year of this current term. Score one for our side I'd say.

Also during that same campaign, Trump promised to end inflation, lower prices at the grocery store and at the “ pump,” as well as lowering the national debt. Has any of that happened to a significant or lasting degree...in a word,“no.” And why not...because for President Trump the word “tariffs” seemingly took over all vestiges of economic logic. And while I do agree that the “tariffs” needed to be addressed as per Trump's rightfully stating that we were being “taken advantage” of for far too long in regards to “tariffs,” I did, however, state on day one when Trump's “tariff” proposal was announced...and got much flack for it...that I believed now was not the right time to address the “tariffs.” And my reason given as to why was that the economy needed to be addressed first as American families and workers were still financially hurting after the four disastrous Biden/Harris years.

In fact, I believed then as I do now that a better way to lower grocery prices overall, without having to resort to “tariffs,” would have been if Trump had initiated a countrywide effort to help increase the production of our own home grown food supplies. How so...by his fostering in both the concept of “fair competition,” while also addressing the food supply chains rightfully called “inefficiencies.” And this could have simply been done by Trump's easing, or outright eliminating, some of the still in effect overburdening regulations that stifle efforts to increase what is our domestic food supply.

Simply, if the supply of domestic goods is readily available and fairly priced, then the  consumers demand for cheaper made foreign goods will start to wain, thus leaving the “tariff” issue to safely be addressed at a later time.

Now as for the price at the ” pump,” that too is being affected by the newest Trump “tariffs.” How and why so...because just like with grocery prices, gas prices do tend to go up as “tariffs” increase, especially in regards to imported “refined products.” Simply, any increase in the cost of imported energy...in this case it's in regards to diesel gasoline and crude oil...does tend to see the consumer paying higher prices at the pump. And while prices, for a short time, did drop but mostly on “regular” gasoline, the price drop was but pennies per gallon. Translation: not enough dollar savings has been acquired to really help the average American consumer at the “pump,” especially with many cars now on the road still needing “high test” not “regular” gasoline.

Here's but one example. As I was writing this article, here in south Florida my husband just paid $3.52 per gallon for high test gasoline to fill his 22-gallon tank car, for a total of $77.44. We used to pay around $3.60 per gallon earlier this year when Trump took office for a total of $79.20. Simply, my husband saved but a mere 8 cents per gallon to fill up his tank for a grand total savings of $1.76 per tank full...a quite laughable savings I'd say...a savings that cannot even buy someone a full carton of eggs.

But in regards to both grocery and gas prices I'd be remiss if I didn't say that the economy...and everything else Trump inherited...was an economy in total shambles, which in and of itself should have put the economy front and center of the Trump agenda not the “tariffs” which, in my opinion, just make a bad situation even worse for many Americans.

But something that must not to be forgotten in this discourse is that, thanks to President Trump, inflation itself has come down a bit even while prices at the grocery store and at the “pump” are on the rise up again. And why...partially because of the “tariffs” as a fair amount of imported goods (like coffee, fruits, seafood, nuts, cheese, and beef for example) do stock America's grocery store shelves. Remember, “tariffs” are basically a tax on imported goods which the taxed countries then pass on to we consumers by a rise in a given goods price.

And to give additional credence to my previously stated “economy first” then the tariffs opinion, many leading economists...economists like Thomas Sowell, Jeremy Siegel, and Joseph Stiglitz (winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.)...have also opined that in Trump's imposing the “tariffs” before addressing what were the underlying economic conditions was a mistake. And why so...because in his focusing on the “tariffs” in regards to their being revenue generating, Trump believed that it would help to correct what he considered to be a U.S. “trade deficit” while also helping to bring down the national debt. But with a “trade deficit” simply meaning that one country buys more goods and services from another country than it sells to that given county, more monies flow out of the country to pay for the imports than comes into said country as a payment for the exports.

“The impact of imposing these tariffs will have the effect of depressing U.S. economic growth, contributing to a higher rate of inflation, and those effects will be worse if the other countries retaliate in kind.”                                          

- Marcus Noland, executive vice president of the 'Peterson Institute for International Economics'

Think of it this way, the raising of “tariffs” on imported goods...Trump's still economic focus...will in the end be passed on to we the American consumers courtesy of a price rise initiated by the countries supplying said goods. And why the increase...because those countries need additional revenue to offset the Trump imposed increase in “tariffs” in order for them to be able to afford to purchase American exported goods which could, in turn, actually lead to a rise in inflation.

Now add in that Trump believed that his “tariff” objectives would, in ten years time, see a four trillion dollar reduction in the national debt (numbers shifting on paper), but the truth is that these “tariffs” would have done nothing of substance to lower said debt. And how did I know this...because I knew that while “tariffs” do generate a certain amount of income, the amount they generate is but a small portion of what are much needed government revenues. And when coupled with the fact that “tariffs” typically raise billions, not trillions, of dollars in revenue, it was easy to surmise that the numbers themselves simply would not allow for a truly meaningful reduction in the national debt no matter the time limit placed. And this is exactly what I said would be the outcome as soon as Trump announced his “tariff” plan.

A background in rocket science is not needed to figure that outcome out, a simple understating that two plus two will always equal four serves the purpose well. 

So even with the “tariffs” that were already in place before President Trump's newest round of “tariffs” was announced, the fact remains that our national debt did continue to increase not decrease, and the real time numbers prove it.

One case in point is that as of early November 2025, the U.S.gross national debt registered at approximately $38.09 trillion which is a $2.18 trillion increase over 2024's gross national debt, with the corresponding average daily increase being around $5.97 billion. And while interest payments alone remain in excess of $1.2 trillion, this allowed the debt-to-GDP ratio to keep rising because “tariff” generated revenues only offer a temporary fluctuation in deficit relief.

Simple translation: you cannot rob Peter to pay Paul when the tangible monies needed to do so are simply not available...or in this specific case are but a fraction of what would be needed to meaningfully bring down the national debt.

And yet while the “tariffs” were and still are being touted by President Trump as a possible solution to some of America's and Americans money woes...and know he does so with good intentions...the average American still sees no long range benefits being filtered down to their personal pocketbooks. And many have come out to voice that very opinion including FOX News' very own Laura Ingram who, during a recent on air “Ingram Angle” interview, pressed President Trump on American voters' growing what she called “anxieties” about the economy, affordability, inflation, and rising grocery and gas prices, to name but a few. And when she brought up the “tariffs” Trump's response was that, “the economy is the greatest we've ever had” while dismissing polls and voter anxieties as but a “con job” or “fake.”

And to that, with all due honor and respect I say, “No, Mr. President you are wrong.” Why so...because as a businessman you had to know that no juggling of numbers of “tariff” raised revenues would ever be large enough to significantly filter down to “We the People's” pocketbooks let alone bring down the gross national debt, the prices at the grocery store and at the pump. Simple math alone does dictate that to be fact.

Donald Trump's intentions and motives in focusing on the “tariffs” cannot be questioned for he truly did believe the issue needed to be addressed...which it certainly did...it was just that, in my opinion, his timing was off in doing so what with so many American's monetarily still hurting.

And now when you add that President Trump wants part of the income from the “tariffs” to pay $2,000 dividends in seven year annual increments to low and middle income Americans, he has ignored the fact that in doing so it would actually counter his original intention of the “tariffs” helping to bring down the growing national debt. Why so...because as per the non-partisan “Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget” (CRFB), the huge amount of monies being diverted via the payouts would push the national debt to 127% of the GDP by 2035, and possibly see it eventually rising to 134% of the GDP. Not good folks, not good at all.

Simply, the man, the president, I truly admire and was proud to vote for three times lost, in my opinion, his focus on exactly how to bring down the rising costs we Americans see on a daily basis in regards to grocery store prices and at the “pump.” Dwelling so deeply on the “tariffs”*  was not and is not the sole answer to our Biden/Harris inherited economic problems...the issue of the “tariffs” could have waited, and I'm glad that key economists on both sides of the political aisle are now saying exactly what I said months ago. I only hope, in my opinion, that this timing mistake does not affect the 2026 midterms in a negative way.

In “Even Great Presidents Make Mistakes...Part Two,” (which will be published on Monday, December 1st, due to the Thanksgiving holiday), I will focus on a key foreign policy mistake President Trump made, and why it might well affect the 2028 presidential ticket...but for now, case closed.

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* Tariffs are a particularly bad way to raise revenue...a must read by The Brookings Institute 

Copyright © 2025 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved.

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, One Dumpster Fire After Another.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!                                                        Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18th from 7 to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Even Great Presidents Make Mistakes...Part One'; 'One Dumpster Fire After Another'; and important news of the day. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50pm EST, show begins at 7pm EST.