[Vision2020] Obama's Economic Growth: Four quarters were higher than Trump--one at 5.1%

[Nicholas Gier]

Opinion: Donald Trump Deserves Zero Credit For The Strong Economy
*Politicususa.com*/2018/07/31
<https://www.politicususa.com/2018/07/31/donald-trump-deserves-zero-credit-for-the-strong-economy.html>

Trump keeps acting like “his” economy is unprecedented. It’s not. As
MSNBC’s Steve Benen wrote last week, “If Trump sees himself as some kind of
miracle worker on the economy, he must see Obama as some kind of
once-in-a-lifetime wizard.”

As Benen pointed out, more jobs were created in the 17 months before Trump
took office (3.54 million) than in the 17 months following his swearing in
(3.22 million). Both numbers are solid, yes, but Obama’s is higher.

Over the year and a half that Trump has been in office, average monthly job
gains have been lower than Obama’s final year and a half. Job growth has
been on a roll since the recovery began in 2010. Obama finished out his
last 18 months with stronger employment gains than Trump has over his first
18 months.

The same applies to the new Trump boast about “amazing” 4.1 percent GDP
growth in the second quarter of 2018. Yes, that’s a good number and all
Americans should cheer economic growth, but it’s not unprecedented. As
Jason Easley wrote, “Obama had GDP growth higher than the one Trump is
celebrating on four separate occasions.” (One quarter was 5.1%.)

Do facts matter anymore? I’m not trying to talk down a strong economy, but
facts still matter even if the president and his supporters don’t think
they do.

-Greek proverb

“Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity.
Immaturity is the inability to use one’s understanding without guidance
from another. This immaturity is self- imposed when its cause lies not in
lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without
guidance from another. Sapere Aude! ‘Have courage to use your own
understand-ing!—that is the motto of enlightenment.

--Immanuel Kant
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