Forty minutes before the federal government published its latest economic report, President Donald Trump appeared to foreshadow disappointing news.
In an early-morning post on Truth Social, the president suggested that the economy had taken a hit, writing at 7:50 a.m. ET that a “Democrat Shutdown” had shaved at least two percentage points off U.S. GDP. The timing raised eyebrows because the official numbers had not yet been released. As many observers later noted, Trump hinted at disappointing GDP figures on Truth Social before the official numbers were released, sparking fresh debate about protocol and transparency.
Commerce Department Confirms Sharp Slowdown
At 8:30 a.m., the United States Department of Commerce reported that the U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of just 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025. That marked a steep drop of three percentage points compared to the previous quarter.
The slowdown followed last year’s 43-day government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1 — the first day of the fourth quarter. Analysts had already expected the funding lapse to weigh heavily on economic performance.
The Congressional Budget Office had projected that, depending on how long the shutdown lasted, fourth-quarter real GDP growth could shrink by as much as two percentage points on an annualized basis. Even so, economists surveyed by Dow Jones had forecast a stronger 2.5% expansion for the quarter, making the final figure notably weaker than anticipated.
Questions Over Early Disclosure
This is not the first time the president has commented on sensitive economic data ahead of its scheduled release. Such instances have drawn scrutiny over whether established policies were followed.
The Office of Management and Budget bars executive branch officials from publicly discussing market-moving economic data before its official release and prohibits commentary until at least 30 minutes after the information becomes public.
Despite that guidance, a White House official defended the president’s post, telling CNBC anonymously that Trump has consistently argued the shutdown hurt the economy. The official maintained that his reference to GDP figures was in line with points he has previously made.
Earlier this year, Trump also alluded to upcoming nonfarm payroll figures on social media prior to their release. At the time, the White House acknowledged what it described as an “inadvertent public disclosure of aggregate data,” while accusing media outlets of inflating the issue.
During his first term, Trump similarly signaled confidence about a strong jobs report shortly before its publication, a move that prompted similar conversations about whether early commentary could give traders an unfair advantage.
Renewed Criticism of the Federal Reserve
In Friday’s post, Trump also returned to one of his familiar targets: Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve.
“Also, LOWER INTEREST RATES. ‘Two Late’ Powell is the WORST!!!” Trump wrote, reviving his long-standing criticism that the central bank has not reduced interest rates aggressively enough.
He has repeatedly used the nickname “Too Late” for Powell in the past, though Friday’s version appeared slightly altered.
As of publication, the White House had not responded to additional requests for comment regarding the president’s social media remarks.
