Best Donald Trump takedown you’ll see this week
It’s not exactly the first Donald Trump tweet that has been proved to be less than factual, we know that.
And yet this one is particularly satisfying, we think.
First off, here’s what the so-called president said today.
The GDP Rate (4.2%) is higher than the Unemployment Rate (3.9%) for the first time in over 100 years!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2018
Wow, that’s pretty impressive, sir!
Except, er …
This is totally true if you exclude 1948Q1,1948Q2,1950Q1,1950Q2,1950Q3,1950Q4,1951Q1,1951Q2,1951Q3,1952Q1,1952Q4,1953Q1,1953Q2,1954Q4,1955Q1,1955Q2,1955Q3,1956Q4,1958Q3,1958Q4,1959Q1,1959Q2,1960Q1,1961Q3,1961Q4,1962Q1,1963Q3,1964Q1,1964Q3,1965Q1,1965Q2,1965Q3,1965Q4,1966Q1,1968Q1 https://t.co/mXTPCCYwUY
— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) September 10, 2018
and 1968Q2,1969Q1,1971Q1,1972Q1,1972Q2,1972Q4,1973Q1,1976Q1,1977Q2,1977Q3,1978Q2,1980Q4,1981Q1,1983Q4,1984Q1,1987Q4,1988Q4,1996Q2,1997Q2,1997Q3,1998Q3,1998Q4,1999Q3,1999Q4,2000Q2,2003Q3,2006Q1
— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) September 10, 2018
…and ignore the fact that we don't have reliable unemployment or GDP data before 1948, but it probably also occurred a fair few more times than I've listed.
— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) September 10, 2018
Apart from that, as they say …
Even Fox News was correcting him.
Since 1948, there have been 63 quarters with a GDP growth rate higher than avg quarterly unemployment rate
Recent Quarters with GDP Growth higher than Unemployment Rate:
•Q2 2018
•Q1 2006
•Q3 2003
•Q2 2000
•Q4 1999
•Q3 1999
•Q4 1998
•Q3 1998
•Q3 1997
•Q2 1997
•Q2 1996 https://t.co/xc873PMf6K— Fox News Research (@FoxNewsResearch) September 10, 2018
And these people.
NARRATOR: This has happened over 60 times in the last 100 years. https://t.co/X52MXq8bwa
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) September 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/_ImperatorRex_/status/1039112204908290049
Another blatant, easily disproved lie. The quarterly rate of GDP growth was higher than the unemployment rate in 2006; 2003; and for 5 distinct stretches during the 1990s. By my count, this has been true for at least 32 different stretches since 1950. Data https://t.co/M3KjskjteR https://t.co/lMN1o3sH2I
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) September 10, 2018
Keep up the good work, Donny!
