RE:Americans are going to have a tough time For once I agree with most you've said. One point to add though: cutting corporate taxes will add even more to the deficit. Basically all the new policies promised that may come into fruition this January point to higher unemployment through downsizing of government agencies etc: coupled with higher prices as you mentioned via fresh tariffs. The rich will get richer, nothing changes. This new administration is not the friend of the blue collar worker, they'll soon find out the hard way. Let's revisit the situation in a year from now.
It's quite amusing that history continues to repeat itself until it no longer can.
Yes gold will hold assuming BRICS don't get cold feet and just maybe the Western world will wake up and puts caps on spending and also buy Gold to shore up their lack of hard assets as their spending powers are diminished.
The issue that effects us all is not so much the price of Gold it's the fact investment in this sector is still anemic and if rates go higher again might drop further. Volatile times ahead. Producers will flourish, getting mines into production is paramount to the success of any company as blue sky no longer holds much value as once it did.