“The economy, stupid”. It was the campaigning phrase that stuck back in 1992, during Bill Clinton’s successful bid for the White House. Focusing on the economy helped Clinton beat George H.W. Bush in the race for the US Presidency. A quarter of a century on, “the economy stupid” remains a popular political leitmotif, used the world over to stress the importance of living standards in any electoral contest. Donald Trump just brought that sentiment back home.
Amidst the pomp of his French visit and the latest installment of “Russia-gate”, last week saw the launch of MAGAnomomics – a new attempt to put the economy at the forefront of American Presidency. “MAGAnomics means sustained 3pc economic growth”, wrote Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s Office of Management and Budget Director, in the Wall Street Journal – combining “economics” with the President’s “Make America Great Again” catchphrase. So what are the prospects for the world’s biggest economy under Trump? Will the US perform well enough for Trump to be more than a one-term President?
LIAM HALLIGAN 