In Trump's idealized framing, America was at its zenith when top hats and shirtwaists were fashionable and typhoid fever often killed more soldiers than combat.

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.