Former Trump adviser on Biden’s economy: ‘I would be bragging about it, too’

Fox Business host Larry Kudlow, who served as director of the National Economic Council (NEC) during the Trump administration, said President Biden is justified in touting the economy’s strong numbers, saying, “I would be bragging about it, too.”

“I’m an honest broker. He got a good 3.3 percent [gross domestic product] number for the fourth quarter, following a good 4.9 percent in the third quarter, OK. If I were he, I would be bragging about it, too. And inflation has come down,” Kudlow said on his Fox Business Network show Thursday.

“All’s fair in love, war and politics. Brag when you can. I get it. I’ve been there,” he continued.

Kudlow, however, then took aim at Biden’s “completely wrong” message Thursday in Wisconsin, playing a clip in which Biden said: “My predecessor, though, he chose a different course. Trickle-down economics, cut taxes for the very wealthy and big corporations, increasing the deficit significantly. That’s exactly what happened. He stripped good paying jobs and ship them overseas.”

“He just can’t help himself,” Kudlow said of Biden, before defending the tax cuts under Trump.

Kudlow also zeroed in on gross domestic product (GDP) numbers and said he was concerned that government spending was the largest factor driving the economy.

“Biden’s GDP improvement in the second half of last year is a good thing. I admit it. Alright, I’m being honest here. Those are the numbers,” Kudlow said. “Mr. Biden is also right to brag on lower inflation. OK, got it. But what’s troubling about these GDP reports is that the biggest contributor to growth is government spending … This is unhealthy, and ultimately it will prove to be inflationary.”

The economy has continued to grow in recent months, but voters still say they trust former President Trump on the economy more than they do Biden. And while consumer sentiment is starting to improve on the economy, there has been little indication yet that voters credit Biden with the improvement.

The numbers are likely to prove important in an election year. Trump is leading his primary opponent, Nikki Haley, in The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s national polling average, but has yet to secure the nomination. In The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling average of hypothetical Biden-Trump rematches, Trump has a 2.2 percentage point lead, with 43.8 percent support, compared with Biden’s 41.6 percent.