Overview

• The Wall Street Journal reported that senior aides are urging President Trump to emphasize a future rebound and tell voters to "just wait until next year" rather than dwell on current readings.
• People familiar with the conversations, including senior officials, told the Journal that advisers privately predict data will start to improve in the first quarter of 2026.
• Recent reporting says Trump has downplayed broader economic discussion in public, pointing to stock market performance and saying the "big year" will come the year after next.
• Russell Riley of the University of Virginia cautioned that sidelining a full range of indicators could steer policy into a costly mistake.
• In a published letter, economist Donald Boudreaux questioned whether a wait‑for‑2026 message aligns with the administration’s statements about tariff revenue gains.