President Donald Trump responded angrily to an unexpectedly strong August jobs report, disputing the economic view that a 162,000-job increase could add to inflationary pressure. Speaking from the Oval Office, he criticized financial markets, the Federal Reserve and U.S. trade partners while arguing that lower interest rates could lift gross domestic product growth to 12%, 13%, 14% or 15%. The economy has instead expanded at roughly 2% annually, slower than during the Biden administration, while inflation and borrowing costs have remained political liabilities. The national debt has surpassed $40 trillion, and the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield reached 4.79% on Friday. Trump’s approval rating on the economy was 32% in mid-summer, down from 50% among voters in 2018. White House officials point to artificial intelligence, tariffs, tax cuts and anti-fraud measures as drivers of stronger future growth, but economists warn that growth alone will not resolve rising Social Security and Medicare costs or large budget deficits. An analysis by Ernie Tedeschi says growth above 3% annually for a decade would only stabilize the debt burden, while meaningful improvement would also require slower government spending, spending reductions and tax increases.