do you know anything about how tax revenue or tariffs actually work moron?
Using tariff revenue to pay down the national debt requires an act of Congress, but total tariff collections fall far short of erasing the nation's historic U.S. debt topping $40 trillion. [1, 2]
How Tariff Revenue Works
Collections: President Donald Trump's tariffs raised $264 billion in calendar year 2025, up from $79 billion in 2024. [1]
Legal Setbacks: In February 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a major portion of these tariffs was implemented illegally under emergency powers, forcing the government to refund over $100 billion to importers. [1, 2]
Deficit Impact: Before the court ruling, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the tariffs could reduce future deficits by roughly $2.8 to $4 trillion over a decade. [1, 2]
The Scale of the Debt
Total Debt: The U.S. national debt surpassed $40 trillion in August 2026. [1]
Income Tax Comparison: Individual income taxes bring in trillions of dollars each year, while customs duties raise a much smaller fraction. [1]
Economist Warnings: Fiscal watchdogs, including the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, point out that tariff revenue alone cannot pay off the massive national debt or fully replace federal income taxes. [1, 2]
Congressional Proposals
The TRUST Act: Lawmakers have introduced ideas like the Tariff Revenue Used to Secure Tomorrow (TRUST) Act. [1]
Dedicated Funds: This proposed legislation aims to create a special Treasury account to capture extra tariff money and use it strictly for deficit reduction. [1]
Need for a Vote: Money collected by the government goes into general funds unless Congress explicitly passes a law to dedicate those specific dollars toward paying down the national debt. [1]
so... not only did Congress not vote for the Trump tariffs, they also didn't pass a law to direct the Trump's tariffs dedicating those funds to pay the debt.
and lastly...
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Crnr2Crnr ·
