Trump Overstates $18 Trillion Investment Claims

Scott Lincicome argues in Capitolism that President Trump's claim of securing 'more than $18 trillion' in new investment via tariffs is false. He cites BEA and Federal Reserve data showing roughly $4 trillion in private nonresidential investment and about $320 billion in FDI in 2024, and notes the White House's 132-announcement list totals $9.6 trillion—much of which analysts find overstated or preexisting.