President Trump will lead the GOP into the elections amid the best first-term economy in three decades.
Real gross domestic product grew at an annualized rate of 3.5 percent in the last quarter, which ran from July through September, the government reported Friday.
The last time a president had such a hot economy heading into the congressional elections in his first term was President Carter in 1978, who was sitting on a 4.1 percent growth rate.
The country was in a recession in 1982, President Reagan’s first midterm, and was barely growing at less than 1 percent for President George H.W. Bush. President Clinton managed a 2.4 percent rate, President George W. Bush oversaw a weaker 1.8 percent and President Obama had a solid 3 percent.
Mr. Trump took office with growth at 1.8 percent his first quarter, then saw it quickly heat up. He’s since posted quarterly growth of 3 percent, 2.8 percent, 2.3 percent, 2.2 percent, 4.2 percent and now 3.5 percent. – READ MORE