The US economy has been in decline since 2000 & dropped more dramatically since the GFC.
Participation rate continues to fall.
Unemployment rate has been rising. The US government changes the way it calculates unemployment, it quotes U3 numbers now but in the past it used U6 numbers & it manipulates those figures as well. Some economists who calculate U6 the same way the government did in the 60's & 70's say the unemployment rate is now at 25% plus. The unemployment rate during the 1930's great depression only got to 23%?
CPI continues to rise. Once again the US government manipulates the figures & uses hedonics & substitutions to make the CPI look lower than it actually is.
US dollar index (DXY) has fallen from it's high in the 80's of $1.20 to a range between $0.70-$0.90 now.
International governments have been dumping US dollars (most notably Russia/China) & buying gold.
A lot of central banks have been net buyers of gold since the GFC. Many countries have been repatriating their gold from the US. Do they something know we don't?
The tariffs are going to be taxing US citizens not the Chinese government. Increasing taxes isn't the way to expand the economy. In theory, lowering taxes & reducing government spending will grow the economy. Governments are a burden on the economy.
Without quantitative easing & low interest rates the US economy & the global economy would be in a recession/depression like state.
The US share market has only been rising in part from share buybacks/short covering/HFT manipulation & low interest rate loans from the "fed window" by some of the massive investment banks in the US.
Every single government around the world has racked up a massive amount of debt. How are we going to pay it all back?
