The Trump administration has a problem.
The latest jobs report showed just 22,000 jobs were added in August. Employment data for June was revised to a loss of 13,000 jobs, the first net loss since the end of 2020. The president's economic policies aren't likely to change, though, driven by the impulses and fantasies of a man whose tether to reality grows thinner by the day.
But in this White House, every day's news must be characterized as a spectacular success. So what to do when the fantasy doesn't match reality? First, you get rid of the messengers, as when Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after last month's bad jobs report. Next, you posit a conspiracy theory, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick did Friday, and assure the public that once the apostates have been purged, everyone will understand what a glorious utopia Trump is creating for the country.
But when it comes to the economy, there's only so far you can get with spin to persuade people not to believe what they're experiencing in their own lives.
This is a preview of Paul Waldman's latest column. Read the full column here.
