‘Trump recession’: Adam Kinzinger isn’t sugarcoating the United States’ economic crisis and calling it what it is

Remember when “winning” was supposed to be so easy we’d get tired of it? Well, America’s checking account begs to differ.

Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger thinks now isn’t the time for political niceties, labeling our current economic spiral with a devastatingly simple two-word diagnosis: “Trump recession.”

Trump recession https://t.co/5i9GYZpx1M

— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AdamKinzinger) April 9, 2025

Since Trump reclaimed the Oval Office, Kinzinger has transformed from Republican colleague to perpetual thorn in the former president’s side. The Illinois congressman, who broke ranks with his party after the January 6th Capitol attack, has embraced his role as the conservative voice of dissent against all things MAGA. While his former Republican colleagues twist themselves into policy pretzels defending Trump’s economic whims, Kinzinger has consistently called out what he sees as dangerous populist economics masquerading as patriotism.

His “Trump recession” comment came in response to a post highlighting JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s warning that we’re barreling toward credit problems “people haven’t seen in a long time” – financial speak for “brace yourselves.” The original post didn’t mince words either, describing the situation as a “complete mess that was totally unavoidable” before christening it with the hashtag “TRUMPCRASH.”

The immediate trigger for this financial anxiety attack? Trump’s self-described “reciprocal” tariffs – “massive import taxes on basically everyone.” These tariffs, the largest America has imposed in a century, slapped duties as high as 50% on dozens of nations. China, getting special treatment as America’s favorite economic rival, now faces a staggering 104% tariff when you add these new charges to existing ones.

Global markets responded about as well as you’d expect. Japan’s benchmark index nose-dived 3.9%, European stocks shed roughly 4%. Last week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped an eye-watering 2,231.07 points (5.5%) in a single day – the worst decline since the pandemic had us all hoarding toilet paper and learning to bake sourdough. That followed a 1,679-point decline, marking the first time in history the Dow has shed more than 1,500 points on consecutive days. Bond markets aren’t faring any better, with the 10-year Treasury yield climbing to nearly 4.5% – that translates into higher interest rates on everything from mortgages to car loans for everyday Americans.

Kinzinger’s criticism runs deeper than just market movements. Last week, he predicted these tariffs marked “the beginning of the end” for the MAGA movement, boldly labeling Trump the “greatest destroyer of wealth.” The former congressman’s assessment seems increasingly prophetic as markets continue their downward journey. The question now is whether America’s economic rationality will return before our collective solvency runs out. Kinzinger, at least, isn’t waiting to call this economic experiment exactly what it appears to be – a recession with Trump’s name written all over it.