In late August 2023, President Donald Trump contacted us to meet with him. It was déjà vu for the two of us, as it reminded us of our first meeting with Trump back in early 2016—the first time he ran for the White House. Trump was proclaiming that we could get to 5 percent growth with the right set of pro-business policy ideas. We were ecstatic that finally someone was frontally assaulting the tyranny of low expectations that sold America short.
When we met with Trump at his office in Bedminster, New Jersey, it was like we were starting right where we left off. He wanted us to help him again in 2020 with the rebuilding job ahead.
“Will you help me write a tax plan that is even bigger than Reagan’s?” he asked.
We looked at each other, grinned, and said: “We’re in.”
As we left that meeting, Steve mentioned on the way out that we knew he could make the American economy great again, because he already had done it once.
“No, actually, Steve,” he replied, “I did it twice. I did it after Obama. And I did it after Covid.”
