The Politics Of Panic

American Thinker ^ | 1 Oct. 2026 | Jack Hellner |

[MtnClimber]

From tariffs and grocery shelves to AI and martial law, election-season fear keeps outrunning the facts.

For decades, the media and other Democrats have continually used fear to push leftist policies and defeat Republicans.

In 2025, when Trump imposed tariffs, many predicted the stock market and economy would collapse, store shelves would empty, and inflation would soar. Here’s just one example from thousands: “Retail wipeout: Trump tariffs stoke fears of shortages and price hikes.”

The dire predictions were 100% wrong.

In fact, the stock market has risen rapidly, the economy continues to grow, store shelves are full, and core inflation has continued to decline from the levels seen during Biden’s presidency. Note, too, that the so-called experts never predicted Biden’s disastrous inflation or blamed his policies for it.

Under Trump, core inflation driven by COVID panic and Biden’s policies has declined: 2020, 1.6%; 2021, 5.5%; 2022, 5.7%; 2023, 3.9%; 2024, 3.2%; 2025, 2.6%; August 2025 to August 2026, 2.4%.

World Cup tourists were amazed at how many products Americans have on store shelves.

The experts also predicted widespread food shortages and high food inflation because Trump closed the border and began sending illegal immigrants out of the country. When I asked AI to summarize the predictions, I got this:

Numerous articles, research papers, and government filings detail how closed borders, strict immigration crackdowns, and a resulting decline in foreign workers risk causing supply-shock food shortages and sharp inflation.

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TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: elections

[MtnClimber]

[Tell It Right]

Thanks for posting! I’d forgotten the video clips of world cup fans commenting on how stocked our shelves are. LOL

[Merrick]

When Trump imposed tariffs everyone said the stock market would crash. Before the tariffs they said if the DJIA hit 50,000 before the end of his term it could be considered an economically successful term. It hit 50,000 three years before the end of Trump’s term - AFTER he imposed tariffs - and keeps flirting with 52,000 this year.

[SunkenCiv]

For decades, the media and other Democrats have continually used fear to push leftist policies and defeat Republicans.

And what are the DNC/media FR nicks?

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

If it bleeds it leads.

A homilist from years back observed, "there is no news; there is only bad news."

When the stampedes occur and as often planned, go a different path. A narrow one, perhaps. Walk away because "wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."

[John Milner]

Or as my buddy, who worked 40+ years for local news said:

“There’s 30 minutes of news every night, whether anything happened or not.”

Of course, now there’s 24 hours of news, every day, on those goofy channels on your cable.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- "...now there's 24 hours of news, every day, on those goofy channels on your cable."

We have no cable "services" nor "channels," watch zero MSN television news, read everything and check in every few days on some stories because good ole Paul Harvey is no longer with us. So "the rest of the story" is always fun and challenging to follow.

Be well.

[Recompennation]

Same mo in 2008 to install ‘puff’.
Killed the economy and their result buried the car in the ditch, to put it in moron terms.
So far so good with this round of ‘as the left burns’

[The Great RJ]

I hear daily from people who blame “Trump’s War” for high gas prices, yet there is no oil shortage in the US, the price of oil is below $100 a barrel and oil is still flowing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranians are keeping up the gas prices hype to sway the midterm elections and are finding ready allies with the US media and Democrats. If the Democrats gain control of Congress it will be non stop impeachment of Trump and nothing will be done to address high gas prices, but the panic will have had its effect.

[FamiliarFace]

Americans have been brain washed by the corporate media and have stopped using critical thinking skills. I just spent almost 2 weeks with family, and 2 families watch network news every evening. They fall for nearly everything that the MSM puts out.