Amid speculation about a potential economic downturn, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick dismissed concerns of an impending recession and emphasized that the U.S. economy is on a strong trajectory. Speaking on NBC News’ Meet The Press with Kristen Welker, Lutnick argued that fears of a recession were unfounded and that betting against President Donald Trump’s economic strategy was a mistake.
“Absolutely not,” Lutnick responded when asked if Americans should prepare for a downturn. “Anybody who bets against Donald Trump—it’s like the same people who thought Donald Trump wasn’t a winner a year ago—Donald Trump is a winner. He’s going to win for the American people.”
The Commerce Secretary pointed to the administration’s aggressive stance on trade as a major factor in driving economic expansion. By leveraging tariffs to push other countries into reducing their trade barriers, Lutnick predicted that the global playing field would shift in America’s favor. “What there’s going to be is global tariffs are going to come down because President Trump has said, ‘You want to charge us 100%? We’re going to charge you 100%.’ You know what they say? They say, ‘No, no, no, no, no, don’t charge us 100%. We’ll bring ours down,’” he explained.
Commerce Secretary @howardlutnick: Global tariffs are going to come down and we're "going to grow our economy in a way we've never grown before. You are going to see in the next two years the greatest set of growth coming from America." pic.twitter.com/UXT6aZQoWB
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 9, 2025
Lutnick also highlighted the influx of investment into the American economy, crediting Trump’s leadership for driving growth. “We’ll unleash America out to the world,” he said, suggesting that the U.S. is poised for unprecedented economic expansion. “You are going to see over the next two years the greatest set of growth coming from America.” He pointed to the $1.3 trillion in new investment, emphasizing its impact on job creation and overall economic growth.
Meanwhile, President Trump acknowledged that economic shifts were underway but remained confident in the long-term outcome. In a recent interview with Fox News, he addressed recession concerns while discussing his administration’s efforts to bring wealth back to the U.S. “I hate to predict things like that,” Trump said, referring to the possibility of an economic downturn. “There is a period of transition, because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing. And there are always periods of, it takes a little time. It takes a little time, but I think it should be great for us.”
The contrast between financial analysts predicting economic trouble and the administration’s optimistic outlook highlights a broader debate over the future of the economy. While some warn of an impending slowdown, Lutnick and Trump argue that the foundation for unprecedented growth is already in place, driven by trade negotiations and investment incentives that benefit American businesses.
The media and financial institutions have consistently underestimated the resilience of the U.S. economy under Trump’s leadership. Despite repeated warnings of economic downturns, the administration has continued to push policies that drive growth and investment.
