Rockstar Games
One of the best video games in recent times found to have predicted U.S. tariff drama
During the period in which Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place, President Macalister imposed similar measures on foreign products.
Donald Trump began his second term as president of the United States by imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union. The American tycoon, who has boasted that the word “tariff” is his favorite word in the dictionary, is using protectionism as his weapon of choice. However, the imposition of these taxes is also affecting the U.S. economy, as the targeted countries have responded by imposing tariffs of their own. This is not new, other governments have done this throughout history, and the video game Red Dead Redemption 2 reflects it in this way.
The Rockstar Games title was released in 2018, just two years after Trump won his first presidential election. The reference to tariffs appears in one of the game’s newspapers, echoing a real-life situation at the time, when President Alfred Macalister signed an executive order to impose tariffs. “Shopkeepers and traders said the tariffs will surely cause businesses to close and prices to skyrocket,” it reads.
Prosperity for America?
In the article, President Macalister uses the exact same words as Donald Trump, namely that tariffs will allow America to prosper. “We must keep foreign products from our shores. They strip our workers of labor, food from the tables of our families, and only seek only to benefit rich titans of industry abroad.” The newspaper notes that the president’s popularity has plummeted, especially after a pandemic that killed 2,500 soldiers during his tenure.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on consoles and PC.
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