Trump’s ‘roaring’ economy meets a rough start to 2026: What the latest numbers show
ABC News
President Donald Trump promised that 2026 would be a bumper year for economic growth
WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump promised that 2026 would be a bumper year for economic growth, but instead it has kicked off with job losses, rising gasoline prices and more uncertainty about America's future.
In his State of the Union address less than two weeks ago, the Republican president confidently told the country: “The roaring economy is roaring like never before.” The latest batch of data on jobs, pump prices and the stock market suggests that Trump's roar has started to sound far more like a whimper.
There is a gap between the boom that Trump has predicted and the volatile results he has produced — one that could set the tone in this year's midterm elections as he tries to defend his party's majorities in the House and Senate. With Trump's tariffs drama ongoing, the war in Iran has suddenly created inflationary concerns regarding oil and natural gas. To the White House, it is still early in the year and stronger growth is coming.
“WOW! The Golden Age of America is upon us!!!" Trump posted on social media Feb. 11 after the monthly jobs report showed gains of 130,000 jobs in January.
Since then, the job market has evaporated in worrisome ways.
A strong chemical smell has forced a temporary halt to flights at four major airports near Washington, D.C. The FAA says air traffic controllers cannot manage traffic safely during the incident
U.S. job openings rose to nearly 7 million in January, better than expected at a time when the American labor market has looked sluggish
Advocates say alligator farming has turned the demand for boots and bags into a boost for a species often seen as scary, bothersome or good only for their leathery skins
The U.S. economy, hobbled by last fall’s 43-day government shutdown, advanced at a sluggish 0.7% annual rate from October through December, the Commerce Department reported Friday in a big downgrade of its initial estimate
China has sharply reduced its warplane flights near Taiwan and analysts aren't sure why
South African soldiers deployed in the country’s high-crime areas have dismantled illegal mining operations Johannesburg
The Panama Canal's administrator says the war in the Middle East and higher fuel prices make the canal more appealing for shippers
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An artisanal mine collapse in the Central African Republic has killed eight miners and injures five others
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose again this week, reflecting ongoing bond market jitters over the war with Iran
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Some commercial ships near or in the Strait of Hormuz and in the Persian Gulf have declared themselves as China-linked since the Iran war began, marine traffic data show, as their operators try to reduce risks of being targeted in attacks
China is signaling it will stay focused on technology and economic growth, even as U.S. tensions with Iran rise