In President Donald Trump’s idealized framing, the United States was at its zenith in the 1890s. The Republican has said repeatedly, “We were at our richest from 1870 to 1913.

In arguing for more tariffs on goods imported to the United States, President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. was its “richest” or “wealthiest” during the late 1800s and early 1900s because of tariffs.

President Trump idealizes the Gilded Age, seeing high tariffs as key to economic prosperity, despite the era's inequalities and corruption. He plans similar tariffs today, believing they can boost domestic manufacturing.