Trump has lurched to the populist Left with recent economic proposals

Published January 16, 2026 7:00am ET



President Donald Trump’s recent economic proposals mark a notable shift further into populism and an embrace of policies typically espoused by left-leaning political figures.

In recent days, Trump has proposed capping credit card rates at 10% for one year, a proposal met with pushback from free-market advocates. He has also said he wants to ban institutional investors from buying single-family homes, another proposal that has been embraced by some on the Left.

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