On February 8th, President Trump was interviewed by NBC in the Oval Office of the White House. During the interview, President Trump highly praised the development of the U.S. economy in 2025, stating that the U.S. has received $18 trillion in investment and that 2026 will be even better.
In the interview conducted by NBC anchor Tom Llamas, the discussion quickly shifted from the Super Bowl to the U.S. economy. President Trump spoke highly of the economic growth in the U.S., mentioning that if it weren’t for the 43-day government shutdown last year, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the U.S. in 2025 could have reached a growth rate of up to 7%.
President Trump responded to Llamas’ question about the fluctuating prices of goods since he took office, pointing out that prices have come down recently. He discussed how the Democratic Party had shifted their focus from affordability due to the decrease in prices.
Regarding the rise in prices of goods like natural gas and coffee, President Trump highlighted the improvements in the affordability of essential goods since he took office, referencing the significant decrease in prices, particularly mentioning the surge in egg prices when he first entered office.
President Trump expressed his pride in the U.S. GDP’s rapid growth, emphasizing that despite the challenges, achieving a 5.6% growth rate was a significant accomplishment. He attributed the slight drop in GDP growth to what he called a “Democratic shutdown,” stating that without it, GDP growth could have reached 7%.
Looking ahead to 2026, President Trump expressed optimism, mentioning the influx of investments totaling $18 trillion and the ongoing developments of factories and businesses across the country. He believed that the U.S. was on a path towards further economic prosperity.
In terms of economic indicators, the U.S. saw a decrease in the inflation rate from the record-high of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3% in January 2025, with an annual inflation rate of 2.7% for the year.
A recent poll conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion on February 5th revealed that 54% of Americans believed that the priority for the Trump administration should be lowering prices, while 22% felt it should focus on controlling illegal immigration.
Breaking down the poll results by political affiliation, it was found that 70% of Democrats and 58% of independents believed that reducing prices should be the Trump administration’s main focus, while the percentage was lower among Republicans at 32%.