Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Is the Trump economic policy doing anything positive for economic growth since 2016?

 Only if you squint.

The trend line inclines slightly from 1.3% seasonally adjusted annual rate in mid-2016 to 2.5% in mid-2026.

That's just part of a larger negative trend, however, since the Reagan Revolution in the 1980s. With the exception of the pandemic circus in 2020, quarterly real GDP hasn't been close to 10% since the mid-1980s.

We have fallen from a great height.

 

Trump era since 2016
Reagan era since 1983
Pre-Reagan era