Fourth-quarter U.S. GDP up just 1.4%, badly missing estimate; inflation firms at 3%
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US GDP Grows 1.4% in Q4, Missing Estimate
Is the economy truly tanking under Trump or is Democratic Party obstruction masking strong growth above 3%?
Above: People shopping in Miami. Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
The economy is tanking under Trump's watch, with GDP growth collapsing, inflation rising and job growth hitting a 16-year low. This is the weakest economic performance in nine years outside the pandemic, yet the White House keeps peddling delusional happy talk about perfect conditions. Meanwhile, Americans are suffering through rising costs and stagnant growth.
Pro-Trump narrative
The Democrat shutdown artificially dragged down GDP by roughly 2 percentage points, meaning the economy's true trajectory is well above 3% growth. Government spending tanked almost 5.1%, which is actually excellent news, showing the successful reprivatization of the economy. The real economic strength is being masked by temporary political obstruction and sabotage.