The economic optimism of Donald Trump’s election is becoming harder to deny, although many liberals are still trying.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced March 10, that the U.S. economy added 235,000 new jobs in February, beating estimates by 38,000. Following that news, CNBC’s Squawk Box co-anchor Joe Kernen argued Trump instilled confidence in the economy by surrounding himself by successful businessmen.
Kernen said these good jobs numbers are not about “what he [Trump] has done” in his first few weeks as president. Instead he argued that unlike “the last administration” the economy is “in more competent hands” with successful businessmen like Richard LeFrak, Carl Icahn, Wilbur Ross, and Gary Cohn all advising Trump.
While Kernen acknowledged some government programs should not have a “profit incentive,” he said that things like “accountability” and getting things done “under budget and on time” are better handled by people in the private sector.
Unsurprisingly, the president of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress Neera Tanden told Squawk Box viewers she is “not attributing this to the new administration, since it’s the first month of his presidency.”
Though the media have downplayed Trump’s influence by minimally reporting good economic news the stock market has seen record gains since Election Day. The February jobs report was also the second month in a row of strong jobs reports. The BLS noted that January revisions brought that month up to 238,000 jobs added.
