WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is embracing numbers he once maligned as “phony” as he tries to take credit for the latest jobs report.
The new administration on Friday promoted new Labor Department statistics that show U.S. employers added 235,000 jobs in February. The unemployment also rate dipped to a low 4.7 percent from 4.8 percent.
“Great news for American workers: economy added 235,000 new jobs, unemployment rate drops to 4.7% in first report for @POTUS Trump,” tweeted White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
“Not a bad way to start day 50 of this Administration,” he later said.
It was a jarring contrast from the campaign, when Trump repeatedly questioned the stats’ legitimacy. And economists say it’s unlikely the president’s policies had much to do with the new numbers anyway.