President Donald Trump swats at a bee during a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, May 2, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

AP FACT CHECK: Trump's double-false claim about GDP

By The Associated Press May 2, 2019 at 1:08pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump told Fox Business Network the country reached a rate of growth last quarter that hadn’t been seen in 14 years. That’s false in two ways and correct in none.

TRUMP: “We just did 3.2 … 3.2 is a number that they haven’t hit in 14 years.” — interview broadcast Wednesday.

THE FACTS: It’s nowhere close to the best in 14 years, by any measure. The rise in the first quarter of 3.2% in the gross national product was only the best since last year. It was surpassed in the second and third quarters with rates of 4.2% and 3.4% respectively.

Perhaps he meant to say it was the best first-quarter growth in 14 years. But that’s not right, either. It’s the best in four years.

The economy grew by 3.3% in the first quarter of 2015. So President Barack Obama has a better first-quarter record than Trump to date.

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AP Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber continued to this report.

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