Fact Check: Did Trump once say the economy does better under Democrats?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid criticism and pressure against the Trump administration over rising gas prices and inflation, a video began circulating on social media platforms claiming to show President Donald Trump saying that the economy does better under Democrats. The claim has sparked speculation about its authenticity, prompting a fact-check.
The viral clip purportedly showed Trump discussing whether he identified as a Democrat or Republican before comparing the economic performance under Democrats and Republicans.
Claim: Donald Trump once said economy is better under Democrats
The viral clip claims to show an interview with Trump where the host asked him if he identified as a Democrat or a Republican, to which he replied, “Well, you'd be shocked if I said that in many cases I probably identify more as Democrat."
He is later heard saying, “You know, it's interesting, I've been now around long -- you know, I think of myself as a young guy, but I'm not so young anymore. And I've been around for a long time. And it just seems that the economy does better under the Democrats than the Republicans.”
The video has been shared by multiple users, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, claiming that it is an authentic interview, while a few others dismissed it as fabricated and called for a fact check.
Fact Check: Donald Trump did say it
The video is authentic, and Trump did say that the economy does better under Democrats. An analysis using AI detection tools such as Hive Moderation showed no signs of artificial intelligence.
The video is from a March 2004 interview between Trump and CNN's Wolf Blitzer that was aired on television. Although the full interview is not available on YouTube, the clip is available on the official CNN Politics Facebook account.
The transcript of the interview was also featured on CNN's website, confirming that Trump made the statement.
Trump warns of economic depression under Democrats
The clip resurfaced after Trump warned that Democrats would bring a '1929 disaster' and an economic depression if they win the upcoming midterm election.
Trump said, “If the Democrats win, you will have an economic depression, much like 1929.”
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic breakdown. The US banking system had collapsed by 1933, while prices and productivity had fallen to one-third of their 1929 levels.
Trump made the warning in a video posted on his Truth Social on Saturday, October 3, in which he urged voters to treat the midterms as if he were on the ballot. He also promoted his proposed $5,000 checks if Republicans win both chambers of Congress.
