Trump Denies Possibility of Recession
(AP/Getty/Salon)
We ran the numbers:
There are 1512 news articles covering this topic. 20% (307) are left leaning, 62% (942) center, 17% (263) right leaning.
In the midst of market disruptions and ongoing trade wars, President Trump insists that the economy will not feel any negative consequences from his presidency. There has been increasing speculation over the past week about the possibility of an economic downturn under President Trump, particularly in light of the president’s continuing trade war with China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted last week due to a fear of worldwide recession.
A left-leaning New York Times article by Maureen Dowd excoriates Trump for promoting conspiracy theories as to why signs may be pointing to a recession. He has claimed that the Federal Reserve chair is actively working against him, that other countries are working to hurt American economic interests, and that the news media are conspiring to help create a recession. Dowd writes, “The claims provide a ready target to help Mr. Trump deflect blame if the economy does tip into recession. But whether they could truly insulate the president on what could be a significant issue of the 2020 election after he has so conspicuously wrapped himself in the good economic news of the past two years remains an open question, and he and his advisers have sought to tamp down concerns that a downturn is on the way.”
A right-leaning Fox News appears to support Trump’s idea that the mainstream media is supporting a recession, as it reported MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle as saying it’s “about time” for another recession. “A recession is a normal part of economic activity. We see them -- upturns and downturn[s],” Ruhle said. The Fox article adds that White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow has said on Fox that there is no sign of a recession on the horizon.
Centrist coverage from USA Today also reports Kudlow’s remarks but added that China has threatened retaliation if the US goes through with planned tariffs in December. “The White House, however, has blamed the Federal Reserve's interest rate policies for the market slump,” the article notes. It also reported that several 2020 Democratic candidates including Pete Buttigieg and Kristen Gillibrand are concerned about the possibility of a recession.