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That proposal alone has already shaken up the political landscape. Many analysts credit “no taxes on tips” for turning Nevada red for the first time since 2004. Notably, Republicans now outnumber Democrats in voter registration—a seismic shift in a key battleground state.
As Trump spoke to the energized crowd, an attendee shouted out an even bolder suggestion: eliminate all taxes.
“She said no tax on anything,” Trump recalled. “How about just no taxes, period? We could do that.”
That off-the-cuff remark set the stage for Trump’s latest tax policy idea. Instead of relying on the IRS and income tax, he suggested a return to a tariff-based system—an approach America used before the 16th Amendment established the income tax in 1913.
Trump reminded the audience that when he first imposed tariffs—particularly on steel and Chinese imports—experts warned of economic disaster. But under his administration, inflation remained at a low 1.4%. Now, he’s proposing a major shift back to a tariff-driven economy.
“You know, if the tariffs worked out, like a thing like that could happen if you want to know the truth. Years ago, 1872, 1913, we didn’t have an income tax. What we had is tariffs where foreign countries came in, and they stole our jobs, they stole our companies, they stole our product, they ripped off. And, you know, they used to do numbers,” Trump explained.
According to Trump, the period when tariffs funded the government was one of America’s most prosperous eras.
“And then we went to a tariff system. And the tariff system made so much money. It was when we were the richest from 1870 to 1930. Then we came in with the brilliantly came in with an income tax. So we don’t want others to pay. Let’s have our people pay. And then you had the depression in 1928, 1929, I call it 1929. It was a bad time. But, you know, you didn’t have tariffs, and you had tariffs that ended in 1913. But it was the richest our country ever was,” Trump added.
Just Released: Trump White House Collector’s Bobblehead!
Trump believes eliminating the income tax and shutting down the IRS could be possible if the government shifted entirely to tariffs. However, there’s a major obstacle: the 16th Amendment.
Without repealing this amendment, any future Democrat president could reinstate income taxes on top of tariffs, using them to fund massive government programs. Trump’s proposal would require a constitutional overhaul, but his growing momentum among voters could make it a reality.
Trump’s bold tax proposal is shaking up the 2024 race. His push to eliminate the IRS and replace income taxes with tariffs is a radical shift from the status quo. With Nevada already flipping red and voter registration trends favoring Republicans, this message is clearly resonating. Whether or not he can pull it off remains to be seen, but one thing is certain—Trump isn’t afraid to take on the establishment.
