{"id":488344,"date":"2026-02-20T20:08:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T20:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/488344\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T20:08:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T20:08:10","slug":"trump-previewed-weak-gdp-on-truth-social-ahead-of-official-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/488344\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump previewed weak GDP on Truth Social ahead of official release"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Coosa Steel Corporation on Feb. 19, 2026 in Rome, Georgia. <\/p>\n

Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images<\/p>\n

Forty minutes before the federal government revealed that economic growth slowed sharply <\/a>in the last quarter, President Donald Trump<\/a> dropped a hint that the incoming data would be weaker.<\/p>\n

“The Democrat Shutdown cost the U.S.A. at least two points in GDP. That’s why they are doing it, in mini form, again,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post<\/a> at 7:50 a.m. ET.<\/p>\n

At 8:30 a.m., the Commerce Department reported that U.S. gross domestic product rose at an annualized rate of just 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025. That’s a decline of 3 percentage points from the previous three-month period. <\/p>\n

Trump’s Friday morning post referred to last year’s record-length government shutdown, which began Oct. 1 \u2014 the start of the fourth quarter \u2014 and lasted 43 days.<\/p>\n

The federal funding lapse was expected to take a toll on GDP. The U.S. Congressional Budget Office estimated that, depending on its length, the shutdown would shrink annualized real GDP growth in Q4 by up to 2 percentage points.<\/p>\n

But economists from Dow Jones were still estimating a 2.5% gain for the period.<\/p>\n

Trump has previously revealed economic data before its official release, raising questions about possible policy violations and concerns that traders may be getting a heads-up from the president, who can be briefed on the data before it comes out. <\/p>\n

The Office of Management and Budget not only prohibits executive branch officials<\/a>\u00a0from commenting early on such releases, but forbids public statements about them until 30 minutes after they have come out.<\/p>\n

A White House official defended Trump’s post, telling CNBC on condition of anonymity that the president has consistently pointed out how the shutdown has been a drag on the economy, including by sharing GDP percentage figures “consistent with his 2% Truth this morning.”<\/p>\n

In a Truth Social post in January, Trump indirectly revealed<\/a> forthcoming nonfarm payrolls data.<\/p>\n

The White House at the time admitted that there was an “inadvertent public disclosure of aggregate data” while attacking the media for “grasping at straws to foment another fake controversy.”<\/p>\n

Read more CNBC politics coverage<\/p>\n

During his first presidential term, Trump signaled optimism<\/a> about a blowout jobs report shortly before its release.<\/p>\n

Trump’s post Friday morning also reiterated his long-running criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell<\/a> over his refusal to lower interest rates as sharply or quickly as the president wants.<\/p>\n

“Also, LOWER INTEREST RATES. ‘Two Late’ Powell is the WORST!!!” Trump wrote.<\/p>\n

He has previously branded Powell with the derisive nickname “Too Late”; it was unclear if the president meant to misspell the nickname in Friday’s post.<\/p>\n

The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Trump’s social media post.<\/p>\n

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