President Donald Trump appeared on ‘Meet the Press’ on Friday, where he sought to alleviate fears surrounding the U.S. economy’s potential downturn, insisting that everything would be ‘OK’ in the long term, even if the nation faced a recession in the short term.
When asked by moderator Kristen Welker if it would be acceptable for the economy to experience a recession, Trump responded affirmatively, stating, ‘Look, yeah, it’s — everything’s OK.’
He referred to the current economic climate as a ‘transition period,’ expressing confidence that the country would ‘do fantastically.’
Welker pressed further, inquiring whether Trump was worried about the possibility of a recession. Trump swiftly dismissed the notion, asserting, ‘No.’
When prompted about whether he believed a recession could occur, Trump acknowledged that ‘anything can happen,’ but maintained his optimism, claiming, ‘I think we’re going to have the greatest economy in the history of our country.’
These comments come amidst rising concerns among Wall Street analysts regarding a potential recession, largely attributed to Trump’s evolving tariff policy.
In response to Welker’s remarks, Trump countered that some voices on Wall Street predicted a robust economy, saying, ‘Some people on Wall Street say that we’re going to have the greatest economy in history. Why don’t you talk about them?’
He continued, citing that ‘many people on Wall Street’ believe the U.S. is on the verge of ‘the greatest windfall ever happen.’
Recent data from the Commerce Department indicates the U.S. economy contracted by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025, driven by a decline in exports and an increase in imports, primarily in anticipation of Trump’s forthcoming tariffs.
During a Cabinet meeting earlier in the week, Trump sought to absolve himself of responsibility for the negative economic indicators, attributing them to the legacy left by former President Joe Biden.
‘You probably saw some numbers today,’ Trump remarked, insisting, ‘that’s Biden. That’s not Trump.’
He emphasized that the quarterly figures reflected decisions made prior to his administration, arguing he was ‘very against everything that Biden was doing’ which he claimed was harmful to the U.S. economy.
Since taking office in January, Trump has pursued a path of imposing tariffs on major trading partners, including Canada, Mexico, and China.
Last month, he temporarily suspended the rollout of larger tariffs on most countries for 90 days, following immediate impositions, a shift that sparked a market rally, helping stocks rebound from their losses incurred after his initial tariff announcements on April 2.
However, Trump has not hesitated to increase tariffs on China, raising the rate on the nation to 145%.
Despite expressing unwavering confidence, Trump has consistently brushed off worries that these tariffs would significantly impact consumer goods prices or availability in the United States.
He concluded the Cabinet meeting by addressing concerns about empty store shelves, quipping, ‘Somebody said, ‘Oh, the shelves are going to be open.’ Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, you know? And maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally.’
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