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Trump’s Economic Rhetoric: A Distortion of the Real Progress Being Made PDF Print E-mail
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Written by Laura Kiefert, Green Bay Progressive   
Friday, 20 September 2024 10:55

fed-reserve-cuts-interestTrump’s rhetoric tries to make it seem like the economy is on the brink of collapse, but the truth is, we are on the verge of the "soft landing" we've all been hoping for.


LAKE GENEVA, WI - Trump is full of shit when he talks about the economy, because the facts just don't support his claims. He paints a picture of a failing economy, but in reality, the Federal Reserve's recent moves show that we're in a much better place than he would have us believe.

Let's be clear: inflation, which peaked at 7.1% in June 2022, has dropped down to 2.5% today. That didn’t happen by accident. It took strong, decisive action from the Fed to raise interest rates and cool off the economy. Sure, it wasn't easy for everyone—families dealt with higher mortgage rates, and businesses had a harder time borrowing—but this "short-term pain" was crucial for long-term stability. And guess what? It worked. Inflation is now under control, nearing the Fed’s 2% target.

business-small-openMeanwhile, unemployment has ticked up slightly to 4.2%, but that’s still historically low. Let’s not forget, Trump loves to brag about the job numbers during his term, but the economy now has more jobs than were forecasted before COVID hit, and this recovery has been strong, thanks in part to immigrants boosting the labor market. So when Trump says the economy is a disaster, he's conveniently ignoring the facts—unemployment remains low, and inflation is under control.

Trump also conveniently leaves out the Fed’s smart moves to lower interest rates recently. The Fed knows what it's doing—they slashed the federal funds rate from 5.3% to 4.8%, and mortgage rates are already falling in response. This helps prevent unemployment from rising any further. And some economists wanted the Fed to wait until inflation hit 2% before cutting rates, but that would’ve been a mistake. The Fed rightly understood that lowering rates now would help avoid a bigger unemployment problem down the road.

construction-workersTrump’s rhetoric tries to make it seem like the economy is on the brink of collapse, but the truth is, we are on the verge of the "soft landing" we've all been hoping for—a scenario where inflation falls back to 2% without sparking a recession. The Fed’s actions, which Trump would no doubt criticize, are bringing us closer to that goal.

laura-kiefert-2018Trump’s critiques of the economy are nothing more than political hot air, ignoring the real progress that’s been made. The facts speak for themselves: inflation is down, unemployment remains low, and the Fed’s strategic rate cuts are setting the stage for continued economic stability. Trump’s doom-and-gloom narrative simply doesn’t hold water.

Last Updated on Friday, 20 September 2024 11:22
 
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