By Trump ShagsKids
February 25, 2026
If there is one thing Donald Trump has never lacked, it’s the audacity to look reality square in the eye and tell it to get lost. Today, with the release of dismal fourth-quarter economic data showing GDP growth grinding to a halt at a pathetic 1.4% annualized rate—less than half the 3% economists had predicted—the former and future president was already ahead of the curve, literally .
At 7:50 a.m. ET, a full forty minutes before the Commerce Department could drop the bad news, Trump was on Truth Social with his finger already pointed. “The Democrat Shutdown cost the U.S.A. at least two points in GDP,” he wrote, blaming a 43-day government shutdown that happened on his watch for the slowdown .
By 8:30 a.m., the numbers were official: the largest drop in federal government spending since 1972, consumer spending cooling, and an economy that grew at a blazing 4.4% in Q3 suddenly sputtering like a 1980s Cadillac running out of gas . But in Trump’s mind, it was everyone else’s fault—the Democrats, the Fed, “Too Late” Jerome Powell, and probably the ghost of Jimmy Carter if he could figure out how to blame him.
Let’s do what the former president refuses to do: look at the numbers.
The Numbers Don’t Lie (But Trump Does)
The fourth-quarter GDP report was not just bad; it was an embarrassment for an administration that promised an economic miracle. The 1.4% growth wasn’t just a miss—it was a 3-percentage-point collapse from the previous quarter . Federal government spending fell 16.6%, the steepest drop since Richard Nixon was in the White House . The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the shutdown shaved 1.5 percentage points off GDP, and while Trump claimed it was “at least two points,” the difference is negligible when you’re the guy in charge .
But here’s the part Trump won’t mention in his upcoming rallies: the economy’s core problems go far beyond a shutdown. Inflation accelerated in December, with the PCE Price Index hitting 2.9%—up from 2.8%—and core inflation climbing to 3.0% . Consumer spending, the engine of the American economy, grew at just 2.4%, down from a robust 3.5% in Q3 .
And yet, when Trump addressed the nation in December, he made a series of claims so detached from reality that they require their own zip code. He said “grocery prices are down.” They’re up 2.7% year-over-year . He claimed he’d “stopped inflation in its tracks.” Inflation is running at the exact same rate as when he took office . He bragged about securing “$18 trillion in new investments”—a figure so fictional that even his own White House website only claimed $9.6 trillion, which itself was wildly inflated by counting things like “bilateral trade” and vague pledges that never materialized .
The $18 Trillion Hall of Mirrors
Speaking of that $18 trillion figure, let’s linger on it, because it’s a masterclass in Trumpian mathematics. In December, Trump told a prime-time audience, “I’ve secured a record-breaking $18 trillion of investment into the United States” . CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale, who has apparently earned a PhD in Trumpology, noted that even the White House’s own inflated website figure was $9.6 trillion—and that number was based on counting things like trade relationships and statements of intent rather than actual checks written .
It’s like claiming you’ve won the lottery because you bought a ticket and someone said “good luck.”
This is the same man who claimed he would cut prescription drug prices by “500%, 600%, 700%, 800%, 900%”—a mathematical impossibility that would mean pharmacies paying customers to take their medications . It’s the same man who claimed Washington D.C. had “no murders” for six months when police statistics showed more than 50 homicides during that period . It’s the same man who said he “ended eight wars,” a list that apparently includes a diplomatic dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia that was never a war and continues to this day .
The Blame Game, Now Featuring the Fed
In his pre-GDP-truth social media dump, Trump also took aim at his favorite piñata: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. “Also, LOWER INTEREST RATES. ‘Two Late’ Powell is the WORST!!!” he wrote, apparently committed to the misspelling .
The Fed, of course, is expected to hold rates steady through at least June, because inflation remains stubbornly elevated—in part due to Trump’s own tariffs on imported goods . As economists at Oxford Economics noted, “With the economy and labor market stabilizing and inflation still elevated, we expect the Fed will remain on prolonged hold” .
But in Trump-world, the Fed should cut rates because he says so, facts be damned. It’s the same approach he takes to everything: if you repeat it loudly and often, reality will eventually get confused and comply.
The Polling Reality Check
Here’s the thing about lies, though: eventually, people notice. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from late 2025 found that a staggering 80% of Americans think the country is on the wrong track when it comes to inflation. Only 27% feel good about jobs . Trump’s net approval on the economy has plummeted to -25 points, down from +6 when he started his second term .
CNN data guru Harry Enten put it bluntly: “Donald Trump was elected to fix the economy. It was a strength for him during his first term, but at this point, it is an anchor on him” .
And yet, the lies keep coming. In December, Trump claimed that “every price is down” . He said that beef was the only grocery item that had gotten more expensive, which anyone who has bought eggs, milk, or bread in the last year knows is nonsense . He claimed foreign countries pay U.S. tariffs—a lie so fundamental that he accidentally fact-checked himself in November when he said he would lower coffee prices by lowering tariffs on imported coffee .
The Bottom Line
The Q4 GDP numbers are bad. The 1.4% growth rate is a fraction of what this economy was producing just months ago. The shutdown certainly contributed, but shutdowns don’t explain persistent inflation, cooling consumer spending, or the erosion of buying power that middle-class families feel every time they swipe a credit card.
Trump’s response? Blame Democrats. Blame the Fed. Blame the “enemy within.” Blame anyone except the guy in the Oval Office who promised the greatest economy in history and delivered something considerably less.
On Truth Social, Trump can claim whatever he wants. He can say grocery prices are down when they’re up. He can say he’s brought in $18 trillion when he hasn’t. He can say he’s ended wars that are still being fought. But the GDP report landed this morning with the weight of actual numbers, and those numbers tell a story no amount of late-night posting can change.
The economy is slowing. Inflation is sticking. And the man who promised to fix it all is busy tweeting about how it’s actually everyone else’s fault.
Some things never change.
*Trump ShagsKids is a writer covering politics, economics, and the fascinating intersection where reality meets whatever israel pedophile Donald Trump is saying this week. *