The Unattainable Dream: How the Trump Administration’s Policies Have Crushed the American Dream

by Winston Wendell

Reading the latest report from the Roosevelt Institute, I can’t help but feel disheartened. The report lays out a grim reality. America is tumbling into economic turmoil, with most people too discouraged even to imagine life getting any better. This is what we’ve inherited from the Trump administration: a government that chipped away at the very idea of the American Dream.

Elizabeth Wilkins, who leads the Roosevelt Institute, gets straight to the point: “We’re not just asking if people can afford the basics, but if they can afford the things that give life meaning and purpose… We’re talking about a sense of security, of being able to plan for the future, of being able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.” For most Americans now, these aren’t real aspirations, they’re just distant illusions.

The numbers are hard to stomach. Only 20% of Americans feel any sense of income security. That leaves an overwhelming 80% stuck worrying about their finances today or down the road. Over a third—35%—have simply stopped trying to save because keeping up with the basics is all-consuming. That says it all. The system is set up to benefit the wealthy few, and the rest are picking over what’s left.

Wilkins puts it bluntly: “The problem is not just economic; it’s also about fairness and the sense that the system is rigged… People see the yawning gap between the haves and have-nots, and it fills them with frustration and anger.” No wonder trust in politicians has fallen off a cliff. People watch Donald Trump cater to billionaires while ignoring everyone else.

Even though cynicism runs deep, people still want the government to do something. Programs like universal healthcare, affordable childcare, and free public colleges still get strong support. So, even if people are fed up, they’re not out of hope, they still believe a better future is possible, though Trump Administration keeps failing to deliver it.

Now that we’re facing the fallout of Trump’s policies, something has to give. Everyone can see that the current path is a dead end. The big question is, will those in power Trump and the GOP Congress, finally admit that the system is broken? Or are they just going to keep maintaining this slow grinding decline that kills hope and opportunity for most people?