They often seek to create calamity and crisis - with Covid; spreading fear (of immigrants, etc.), hatred and violence; disrupting health, education, and housing; international peace and security (NATO, Ukraine, etc.). You never see them spreading calm and peace - crisis seems necessary to their movement.
Tanking the economy does the same thing, but it is a much bigger step that impacts many of their supporters. What is their exit plan?
I expect part of their plan is to blame others: They will blame Democrats somehow, and other political enemies - it doesn't need any basis because the Dems don't have any effective means of refuting it to the public; whatever the GOP says becomes reality. I suspect they'll use it to ramp up hatred and fear, blaming their current objects of hatred such as immigrants, minorities, certain religions (a traditional object of blame, the right has already been normalizing antisemitism and general prejudice - which makes antisemitism inevitable. Rogan recently hosted a conspiracy theorist blaming Jewish people for 9/11, for example - how long before does he blames them for the economy, 'undermining President Trump'), liberals, etc.
Edit: I did some rewording
Making America "stand on its own two feet" would give it a lot of freedom in making choices that are at odds with future super powerful China that is no longer benevolent.
The idea that relationships reduce your independence is almost childish, like a 18 year old who things they tie you down and they'll go it alone in life. It's through relationships that people - and nations - have power. The US by itself can't afford to do much. Now the, again, vast network of US allies - including in that theater Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, to an extent India - share the burden.
> freedom in making choices that are at odds with future super powerful China that is no longer benevolent.
The US has disconnected itself from China for years now. China has little influence politically in the US.
What happened was China became extremely nationalistic, threatened and abused everyone, and the US moved in and allied with all its new enemies.
However, as the US becomes extremely nationalistic, threatening and abusing everyone, China is now moving in and building relationships. It's their own back yard, so it is hard to compete if you act like just another nationalistic dicatatorship.