Trump’s proposal to grant every American baby born within a defined four-year window a $1,000 investment account has instantly redrawn the battle lines between populism, capitalism, and long-term social policy. Supporters see a bold attempt to democratize access to the stock market, offering working-class families a rare foothold in the world of compounding returns. To them, these “Trump Accounts” are not just numbers on a statement, but a symbolic promise that the American dream might finally include asset ownership, not just wages and debt.
Detractors, however, warn of volatility, moral hazard, and a government quietly binding newborns to the risks of Wall Street. They question who manages these funds, who profits from the flows, and what happens when markets crash. Yet beneath the outrage and applause lies a deeper truth: this plan forces the nation to confront a haunting question—should a child’s first gift from its government be cash, care, or a stake in a system that has already left so many behind?