"What About Grandma?" - Debating Trump's Plan To Abolish Income Tax With St Onge, Noah Smith

During his viral appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, then-candidate Donald Trump proposed abolishing the federal income tax and replacing it with tariffs. This made Trump the only President to ever make such a suggestion - and win - since the tax’s origination by Woodrow Wilson in 1913: 

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 Donald Trump tells Joe Rogan he is serious about eliminating federal income tax. pic.twitter.com/m7QtQ1T2HI

— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) October 26, 2024

Debating whether that trade — income tax for tariffs — would be desirable as well as the optimal role of a government are two PhD economists: former Bloomberg columnist Noah "noahpinion" Smith and the Mises Institute's Peter St Onge, moderated by host of Dad Saves America podcast John Papola (also the guy who created those rap battles between John Maynard Keyenes and Friedrich A. Hayek). St. Onge advocates for the abolition, arguing that it would lead to economic growth and a smaller government while Smith counters that income taxes are not necessarily more distortionary than tariffs.