Paul Krugman Questions Trump’s ‘A+++++’ Economy Claim: ‘Why Don’t People See It?’

• The economist also took aim at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who stated in an interview with CBS News that the “American people don’t know how good they have it.”
• Krugman added that had President Trump continued Biden’s policies, he would have been in a much better shape politically.
• He pointed to the President’s campaign promise to bring down consumer prices on “day one,” while prices continue to rise.

Economist Paul Krugman on Wednesday slammed President Donald Trump, after the latter stated in an interview that he would give the U.S. an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” grade.

In a post on his Substack, Krugman questioned President Trump’s assessment of the U.S. economy, stating that the Trump administration’s “affordability tour” is off to a disastrous start.

“Since then Trump and his minions seem to have come around to admitting that Americans are, in fact, unhappy with the state of the economy. But if the economy is A+++++, why don’t people see it?” Krugman said.

He quipped sarcastically that since the problem doesn’t lie with the President, it must be an issue with the people. The economist also took aim at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who stated in an interview with CBS News that the “American people don’t know how good they have it.”

President Trump launched his affordability-focused roadshow on Tuesday in northeastern Pennsylvania in a bid to address concerns among voters about the rising cost of living.

Trump Main Culprit, Says Krugman

Krugman stated that President Trump is the main culprit behind Americans feeling down about the U.S. economy. He pointed to the President’s campaign promise of bringing down consumer prices starting on “day one,” while prices are continuing to rise as the Trump administration inches closer to the completion of the first year of this term.

“Last night Trump insisted that prices are, in fact, coming way down. Again, ‘Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?’ is a self-destructive political strategy,” Krugman added.

On Trump’s Decisions

Krugman added that had President Trump continued Biden’s policies, he would have been in a much better shape politically.

The economist said that decisions such as the “Liberation Day” tariffs and the Department of Government Efficiency-related disruptions, among others, brought chaos into the United States.

“It won’t get better, because while Trump insists that the problem is you, it’s actually him. And he isn’t going to change,” Krugman said.

Meanwhile, U.S. equities were mixed in Wednesday morning’s trade. At the time of writing, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 index, was up by 0.09%, the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) declined 0.22%, while the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) rose 0.5%. Retail sentiment around the S&P 500 ETF on Stocktwits was in the ‘neutral’ territory.

The iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) was up by 0.14% at the time of writing.

Also See: Fed Rate Decision: As The D-Day Arrives, Here's A Look At Some Key Narratives So Far

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