Trump news at a glance: President claims tariffs are to blame for unexpected growth, but consumer confidence declines

The U.S. economy rose over the summer, with gross domestic product — a broad measure of the value of goods and services — rising at an annual rate of 4.3% during the third quarter, much higher than expected and its fastest rate in two years, the Commerce Department announced Tuesday.

The report comes at a time when opinion polls show that Americans have become nervous about Donald Trump’s handling of the economy and his tariffs. The Supreme Court is currently examining legal challenges to these fees.

“Tariffs are responsible for the great economic numbers just announced in the United States…and they will only get better! Also, no inflation and great national security. Pray for the Supreme Court of the United States!!! President D.G.T,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The US economy grew strongly in the third quarter

The summer surge was offset by more bad news on consumer confidence. The Conference Board’s closely watched consumer confidence index fell in December for the fifth month in a row, the longest consecutive decline since 2008.

GDP numbers will further complicate the Fed’s decision-making process. The Fed announced its third rate cut of the year earlier this month amid signs of a weak jobs market, but is divided on how to move forward.

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The newly released Epstein files include references to Trump

A newly released installment of the so-called Epstein Files on Tuesday includes several references to Donald Trump, including a claim by a top US lawyer that the US president was on a flight in the 1990s with the now-dead man convicted of child sex crimes and a 20-year-old woman.

There is no indication whether the woman was the victim of any crime, and her inclusion in the files does not indicate that any criminal wrongdoing was committed.

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The US Supreme Court blocks Trump’s attempt to deploy the National Guard in Chicago

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to allow Donald Trump to send National Guard troops to the Chicago area, a significant measure to rein in the president’s efforts to expand the use of the military for domestic purposes in historic moves against a growing number of Democratic-led jurisdictions.

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The Trump administration bans the US Veterans Administration from performing abortions

The Department of Veterans Affairs can no longer provide abortions to veterans, including in cases of rape or incest, following a Justice Department memo last week that found the practice was not legally sound.

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