As a candidate, Donald Trump called the economy under President Joe Biden a “nightmare.” As president, he says the United States is “bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before.” Democratic rhetoric has shifted just as sharply, from Vice President Kamala Harris touting the U.S. economy as “the strongest in the world” during the 2024 campaign to Democrats today decrying an “affordability crisis.” And that was before gas prices jumped more than $0.50 a gallon in the wake of the Iran strikes.
While the narrative on both sides has done a 180-degree turn, the economy itself has not. It didn’t change after tariffs were rolled out. It didn’t change after A.I. became more widely adopted. The economy over the last year has looked a lot like it did in 2024. I don’t expect it to change because of the latest disappointing numbers on jobs, fluctuations in the gross domestic product or the start of the Iran war, either.
Just about every significant economic variable was similar across the two years, often well within the range of measurement error: G.D.P. growth, the unemployment rate, the employment rate for prime-age workers, inflation, real wage growth, productivity growth, the budget deficit, the trade deficit, stock-market gains and mortgage rates. The one indicator that changed meaningfully was job growth, which slowed sharply in 2025, but the unemployment rate didn’t get much higher — reflecting the fact that fewer people needed jobs, either because they had already found them or because immigration inflows fell drastically.
there have been no jobs created in this country for a year.
inflation is roaring again
energy prices have gone up massively
the budget deficit has ballooned
the economy is certainly worse now than when biden handed it to trump.
Cackles and Tampon aka "Somali Fraudster" Tim would be doing a better job?
For the record, the president of the United States is now simultaneously claiming that he has won the war, is currently winning the war, needs help to win the war, and needs no help to win the war. All to destroy the nuclear program he claims to have already destroyed last year.
"By layering triumphant declarations with pragmatic appeals for coalition support and resolute affirmations of independent strength, the administration clarifies expectations for allies (urging greater burden-sharing without implying U.S. weakness), maintains strategic ambiguity to keep adversaries off-balance, sustains domestic morale through victory framing, and preserves flexibility for escalation or de-escalation as the situation evolves against Iran's persistent rebuilding efforts and malign activities. This calibrated approach aligns with a broader "peace through strength" doctrine, ensuring clarity for partners while projecting unyielding resolve."
"By layering triumphant declarations with pragmatic appeals for coalition support and resolute affirmations of independent strength, the administration clarifies expectations for allies (urging greater burden-sharing without implying U.S. weakness), maintains strategic ambiguity to keep adversaries off-balance, sustains domestic morale through victory framing, and preserves flexibility for escalation or de-escalation as the situation evolves against Iran's persistent rebuilding efforts and malign activities. This calibrated approach aligns with a broader "peace through strength" doctrine, ensuring clarity for partners while projecting unyielding resolve."
What’s the source for this? It sounds like something Pete Hegseth would get from ChatGPT while drunk at 9 am on a Wednesday.
New personal worst for Trump! Breaking new ground, down to a 40.2% approval rating and also a new low -15.3% net approval rating. All from Nate Silver.
MAGA cowards cutting loose a MAGA loyalist SO quickly. He had 11 combat tours (some combination of Army SF and CIA). How many do you have, Gary?
Hello? He leaked intel. That's not MAGA loyalist behavior.
No clue what you’re talking about, and presume that it’s a lie. But it is funny what you claim about loyalist behavior. I’m positive that true loyalist imitation flattery would have been for Joe to fill a vacation cottage to the gills with S and TS documents.
Cackles and Tampon aka "Somali Fraudster" Tim would be doing a better job?
Please explain.
once again, the economy and stock market always do much better when a Dem is president.
for example, the dumash tariffs would not have happened and this dumash war would not have happened.
yes, kamala and tim would have done a better job. None of this BS would have happened.
Kamala would be in power if they would have listened to voters and not liberal zionists like you. I would have voted for her if she made any indication of holding back Israel. Instead she said Iran was the greatest threat to America.
On the Strait of Hormuz we've gone from: 1. Don't need help 2. We need help 3. Why aren't folks helping? 4. Helps on the way 5. Not telling you who is helping 6. Helps not actually on the way but we don't need it anyway 7. We may just abandon it and leave it to everyone else
For the record, the president of the United States is now simultaneously claiming that he has won the war, is currently winning the war, needs help to win the war, and needs no help to win the war. All to destroy the nuclear program he claims to have already destroyed last year.
It’s gotta be strange right now for any Iranian leader (or people physically near to them!) who aren’t looking to be martyrs quite yet. On the one hand, you could probably die at any moment. On the other hand, you currently absolutely have the Orange Great Satan (and his country) by the balls.
"By layering triumphant declarations with pragmatic appeals for coalition support and resolute affirmations of independent strength, the administration clarifies expectations for allies (urging greater burden-sharing without implying U.S. weakness), maintains strategic ambiguity to keep adversaries off-balance, sustains domestic morale through victory framing, and preserves flexibility for escalation or de-escalation as the situation evolves against Iran's persistent rebuilding efforts and malign activities. This calibrated approach aligns with a broader "peace through strength" doctrine, ensuring clarity for partners while projecting unyielding resolve."
What’s the source for this? It sounds like something Pete Hegseth would get from ChatGPT while drunk at 9 am on a Wednesday.
At Princeton, Pete once beat a Princeton NROTC Midshipman in a pretty intense game of drunk Battleship. Hence, Pete felt very comfortable skipping the pre-war briefings from the Navy about the Strait.
Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win a LetsRun t-shirt.Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win one of 10 LetsRun t-shirts.
