President Donald Trump claimed credit Tuesday for the nation’s strong economic performance under his leadership.Trump told the Economic Club of New York that “we have delivered on our promises — and exceeded our expectations by a very wide margin.”
The president, who is campaigning for a second term and views the economy as a selling point with voters, spoke about his efforts to roll back federal regulations, massive tax cuts he enacted at the end of his first year in office, and low unemployment rates across major demographic groups.
Trump said the administration is responsible for creating 7 million jobs, though only 6.25 million have been created since he took office in January 2017.
Trump delivered the speech against a backdrop of anxiety over his administration’s trade policies, including talks with China meant to deescalate an 18-month trade war. Trump also criticized policy-making by the Federal Reserve.
He addressed the club in the same midtown Manhattan ballroom where he celebrated his election to the White House in 2016.
When the applause was slow in coming after Trump declared he had delivered on his promises, the president jokingly said, “Thank you. I was waiting for that. I almost didn’t get it.”
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