WASHINGTON (Reuters) – After two years touting a booming economy as his own doing, U.S. President Donald Trump is test driving a new message on the economy: Any chance of a recession is not his fault. But Democrats, who are shifting their message too, seem to be saying “not so fast.”
Trump has moved from touting positive economic indicators since his 2016 election to now trying to blame someone else for a possible economic slowdown, while his advisers and officials are scrambling to insist there is nothing to worry about. From the moment he was elected, Trump took credit for the strong economy. Until early 2019, advisers saw it as the biggest selling point for his campaign to be reelected president in November 2020. But softening economic data of late is raising concern his economic message could lose its punch.
Some of his Democratic rivals for the White House were quick to smell blood, although other candidates and party strategists warned they should be careful so as not appear to be rooting for economic disaster. Most of the nearly two dozen Democrats running for the White House have been largely reluctant to talk about the broader economy this election cycle, viewing it as a losing battle given strong economic data.
Instead, they spent the past six months arguing that Trump’s economy left behind the working class. But in recent days, several Democrats, including front-runner Joe Biden, have changed tack.
Full article at: Reuters
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