Eighteen months in, we’re still waiting for that golden age to materialize. Instead, what we’re getting is a widening gap between the rosy sales pitch and the underwhelming reality we’re actually living with. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, our economy grew at just a 1.5 percent annualized rate in the second quarter of 2026, slowing from 2.1 percent in the first quarter. We’re asking for honesty about what our economy can actually do and leadership focused on sustainable progress rather than fantasy numbers. The golden age isn’t coming.