alt Hacker News> I think the wealthy elite who are siding with Trump are charting a plan to return the US to the same kind of domestically-focused economy
You're delusional, if you think there is any kind of plan going on here. Nobody knew any plan beyond "tariffs" and ideas about invasions coming out of thin air. The tariff numbers are a complete joke.
No, there is no grand scheme, hidden behind an act of absolute incompetence. It's just a short-term money/power grab for the already rich. An attempt to turn the world's "hyperpower" as you put it, into a second-world oligarchy. This may end up in total disaster, that is, a thirld-world oligarchy, if you look at China. But it's hard to actually look at China from the West.
Half the people complaining about Trump's actions say that it's all according to Project 2025, and half the people say what you're saying, that's it all chaotic incompetence with no plan.
I suppose the worst-case scenario is elements of both are true. They've got a fucked up playbook but can't even execute it correctly?
For the record I also don't think they are likely to succeed, I'm just trying to assess what/how they might be planning, or what direction they think they can take the country in. We can agree that they probably won't get the results they want and that America is in for a very rough ride.