Making money doesn't just simply mean either earning or "getting paid". Anybody can do those, some with greater finesse and skill than others.
To make money is to actually produce a thing of value or benefit, such as refining gold from its raw form or taking an rusted out old fliver and refining it to one badass street machine.
So, how could the USA make money at a record pace? Energy. We're siting on more oil, coal and natural gas than Russia and Saudi Arabia combined. Just dig it up. Sell it or use it.