Donald Trump is channeling the raw rage of the American voter into a singular weapon: a 10% cap on credit card interest rates. In a furious Truth Social post, the former president lashed out at the “ripping off” of the public, tapping into the deep resentment many feel toward the financial system. Trump is positioning himself as the voice of the forgotten man, smashing the machine that keeps them in debt.
The anger is justified by the numbers. With $1.17 trillion in debt and rates hovering near 30%, the financial machine is chewing up working-class families. Trump’s policy is a primal scream of resistance, a blunt instrument designed to break the gears of a system that he claims is rigged against the little guy.
The machine, however, is fighting back. The banking industry, representing the technocratic elite, issued a statement warning that Trump’s emotional policy will have cold, hard consequences. They argued that anger doesn’t pay the bills—risk management does. If Trump breaks the machine with a 10% cap, they warned, the flow of credit will stop, hurting the very people who are angry.
Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized Trump for manipulating this rage without offering a real solution. She called the announcement a “joke,” arguing that performative anger is no substitute for effective regulation. Warren accused Trump of feeding the public’s resentment while secretly protecting the machine’s profits through deregulation.
Senator Josh Hawley, recognizing the power of the anger, cheered the move as a “fantastic idea.” He understands that in the current political climate, rage is a currency more valuable than gold. As January 20 approaches, Trump is betting that his rage against the machine will be enough to force it to bend.