Trump loves the Gilded Age. It was a great time for the rich but not for the many

In President Donald Trump 's idealized framing, the United States was at its zenith in the 1890s .

It was the Gilded Age , a time of rapid population growth and transformation from an agricultural economy to a sprawling industrial system.

Experts on the era say Trump is idealizing a time rife with government and business corruption, social turmoil and inequality.

They argue he's dramatically overestimating the role tariffs played in stimulating an economy that grew mostly due to factors other than raising taxes on imported goods.

Historian: U.S. economy grew rapidly between 1870 and 1913 , though there were dips and recessions, too.

The modern federal income tax came into fruition with the ratification of 16th Amendment in 1913 .

Today 's economy is immeasurably different than in McKinley 's time.

Trump has not explicitly detailed plans to end a national income tax.

McKinley championed the Tariff Act of 1890 , which set the then-highest import tax in U.S. history, raising taxes to 49.5% on 1,500-plus items.

The results were quickly poor for the economy and for Republicans , including McKinley .