The estimated second quarter gross domestic product growth rate of 4.1 percent is not “record” or “close-to-record GDP,” as President Donald Trump recently claimed.
Second Quarter GDP Growth Not a ‘Record’
FactCheck Posts
Trump Tower, Collusion and the Law
In a recent tweet, President Donald Trump said the Trump Tower meeting was “to get information on an opponent” and was “totally legal and done all the time in politics.” Some legal experts disagree.
CBO Didn’t Say Tax Cuts Were ‘Virtually Paid For’
The chief economic adviser to President Donald Trump recently said Congressional Budget Office numbers show the “entire $1.5 trillion tax cut is virtually paid for by higher revenues and better nominal GDP.” That’s not what the numbers show, experts told us.
Trump’s Trade-Balance Mistake
President Donald Trump is saying that the U.S. balance of trade improved by a “tremendous” $52 billion in the second quarter of 2018. But the correct figure is much smaller — $22 billion — as two economists with expertise in trade statistics have confirmed for us.
Trump Jumps the Gun (Again) on Health Plans
President Donald Trump touted “record business” for new health insurance plans under a federal rule that hasn’t yet gone into effect. In fact, since at least December 2017, he has periodically, and prematurely, boasted that “millions” of people are already signing up for these association health plans.
VA Could Fire Workers Before Trump Signed Law
As President Donald Trump often tells it, the Department of Veterans Affairs could not fire unruly or underperforming employees before he signed a bill overhauling the agency’s procedures in 2017. He’s wrong about that.
Trump’s Mixed Messages on Russian Meddling
President Donald Trump thanked Fox News for airing a montage on July 19 that he said showed “Trump recognized Russian Meddling MANY TIMES.” But the video also shows Trump equivocating on the issue.
Trump’s Specious Trade Tweets
In recent tweets, President Donald Trump has made erroneous statements about U.S farmers, and soybean prices in particular, while complaining about trade barriers.
Ocasio-Cortez Wrong on Cause of Low Unemployment
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic nominee for New York’s 14th Congressional District, wrongly claimed that the low U.S. unemployment rate was “because everyone has two jobs.” The number of people holding more than one job has no bearing on the unemployment rate.
FactChecking Russian President Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin made several false and misleading claims during his press conference in Finland with President Donald Trump and in an interview with Fox News.