Is a recession coming for Trump? You wish.

Democrats, don't court disaster

President Trump.
(Image credit: Illustrated | SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images, Screenshot/Bea.gov)

A tumbling stock market is not a recession. A slowing economy is not a recession. And a recession is not a depression. These are all things Democrats and NeverEverTrumpers everywhere should keep in mind as they envision a nasty economic downturn driving President Trump from the White House.

Sure, a headline like "Stock market on pace for worst December since Great Depression" provides a wonderful opportunity for a bit of cathartic dunking on Trump. It was only last October when the president was still touting a higher Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 as proof Trumponomics was working beautifully. On Oct. 3, Trump tweeted: "The Stock Market just reached an All-Time High during my Administration for the 102nd Time, a presidential record, by far, for less than two years. So much potential as Trade and Military Deals are completed." Since then, the Dow has been down as much as 12 percent.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
James Pethokoukis

James Pethokoukis is the DeWitt Wallace Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute where he runs the AEIdeas blog. He has also written for The New York Times, National Review, Commentary, The Weekly Standard, and other places.