Economic security

This week in Trumponomics: A crack in Trump’s shield

President Trump has an invincibility cloak. It’s the U.S. economy.

The economy has performed so well under Trump that it has shielded him from what might otherwise be devastating political consequences of a protectionist trade policy that’s hurting farmers, a foolish government shutdown, a white-whale border wall obsession and numerous ethical scandals.

But a fissure has now formed in that shield. Employers generated just 20,000 new jobs in February, far below expectations of around 180,000 new jobs. Before February, job creation since the beginning of 2017 averaged 204,000 per month. The first two years of President Trump’s term represented the strongest job growth since the late 1990s.

The February numbers could turn out to be an anomaly, but they mesh with other data showing the economy is slowing, perhaps considerably. For this reason, this week’s Trump-o-meter reads WEAK, our third lowest rating.