A Government for the People or for the Powerful? Comparing Biden, Obama, and Trump’s Economic Legacies
Over the past 15 years, we’ve seen two competing visions for the economy play out: one that prioritizes workers, families, and the vulnerable, and another that caters to the ultra-wealthy and corporate power.
Obama and Biden took a middle-out approach—investing in workers, strengthening labor protections, expanding healthcare, and ensuring economic growth benefited more than just the top 1%. Trump, on the other hand, has doubled down on trickle-down economics—slashing corporate taxes, gutting labor protections, and hacking away at the social safety net. Now, in 2025, we’re seeing the stark consequences of that choice.
Who Built an Economy for Workers? Who Built One for CEOs?
While the corporations whined about “smaller government” and spent hundreds of millions on subtle and insidious advertising to convince you that “less government” meant more freedom for you, what they really meant was fewer laws protecting you from corporate exploitation—fewer worker protections, fewer safety regulations, and fewer rights to fight back when you get screwed.
Meanwhile, Biden’s presidency actually focused on raising wages and strengthening job security. His administration raised the minimum pay for federal contractors, empowered unions, and aggressively enforced labor laws. While the billionaire class was busy convincing you that regulations were your enemy, Biden was using them to hold corporations accountable and put more money in workers’ pockets.
Under Biden:
- Wages for lower-income workers rose significantly.
- Manufacturing jobs surged (+800,000 by late 2023) as a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, which created good-paying blue-collar jobs.
- Unemployment hit record lows while job protections strengthened, making it harder for companies to exploit workers.
Trump’s approach? Corporate tax cuts, deregulation, and weakened labor protections. His administration argued that giving corporations more money would lead to more jobs and higher wages. The reality?
- Corporate profits and stock buybacks skyrocketed, but wages stagnated for most workers.
- Manufacturing jobs didn’t boom as promised—over 40 Machinists Union-affiliated factories closed.
- Unions came under attack, making it harder for workers to negotiate fair pay.
Now, under Trump’s return in 2025, these patterns are repeating. His administration has prioritized tax breaks for the wealthy and rolled back Biden-era labor protections, making it easier for companies to underpay and overwork employees.
Social Safety Net: A Hand Up or a Hatchet?
Obama and Biden understood that a thriving middle class needs basic protections—healthcare, food security, and support for struggling families. That’s why they expanded the Affordable Care Act, increased funding for Medicaid, and strengthened programs like SNAP and WIC.
- Biden’s Child Tax Credit lifted millions of children out of poverty in 2021.
- The ACA insured millions, protecting families from medical bankruptcy.
- COVID relief programs helped families survive a historic economic downturn.
Trump’s return has brought the opposite approach. His administration has:
- Slashed Medicaid funding by $880 billion, forcing states to cut coverage.
- Cut SNAP benefits, pushing more families into food insecurity.
- Proposed raising the Social Security retirement age, cutting future benefits by 13%.
The Republican philosophy has been clear: Cut assistance to working families to fund tax breaks for the ultra-rich. The math is simple—Trump’s tax cuts cost almost the exact amount he’s slashing from Medicaid.
A Moral Divide: Compassion vs. Greed
The contrast isn’t just economic—it’s moral.
Biden and Obama frequently spoke about our collective responsibility to help the most vulnerable. Their budgets reflected that, investing in programs that lifted families out of poverty, expanded healthcare, and supported education.
Trump’s policies, however, have been condemned by faith leaders, economists, and social justice advocates. A broad coalition of Christian organizations has called his budget “un-Christian,” citing its deep cuts to food assistance and healthcare while rewarding billionaires with tax breaks.
This is the fundamental question:
- Do we believe government should protect workers and the vulnerable, or serve the wealthy elite?
- Should policies lift people out of poverty or make life harder for struggling families?
The choices made today will determine the future of workers, families, and the country itself. And right now, Trump’s America is one where the rich get richer while working people are left behind.
