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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on April 23, 2019 in a tweet: \"In the ‘old days’ if you were president and you had a good economy, you were basically immune from criticism.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"pants- fire\\"](\\" * National * Economy * History * Polls and Public Opinion * Donald Trump ![\\"President](\\" President Harry Truman, shown at his 1949 inauguration, experienced nearly two years of low unemployment and low approval ratings, due largely to the Korean War. (Wikimedia Commons) ![\\"Louis](\\" By Louis Jacobson April 23, 2019 # No, Donald Trump is not the first president with low approval amid a good economy During an hours-long tweetstorm, President Donald Trump complained that he wasn’t getting enough credit for presiding over a strong economy. In an early morning tweet on April 23, Trump wrote, \"In the ‘old days’ if you were President and you had a good economy, you were basically immune from criticism. Remember, ‘It’s the economy stupid.’ Today I have, as President, perhaps the greatest economy in history...and to the Mainstream Media, it means NOTHING. But it will!\" > In the “old days” if you were President and you had a good economy, you were > basically immune from criticism. Remember, “It’s the economy stupid.” Today > I have, as President, perhaps the greatest economy in history...and to the > Mainstream Media, it means NOTHING. But it will! > > — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2019 We wondered whether Trump was right that historically, \"if you were President and you had a good economy, you were basically immune from criticism.\" (His mention of \"It\'s the economy, stupid,\" was something Bill Clinton\'s 1992 presidential campaign team would say to remind themselves to stay on message.) Short answer: Trump is wrong. Looking at approval ratings For starters, we’ll note that \"criticism\" of government leaders is virtually inevitable given the First Amendment, which protects \"freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.\" \"Presidents have never been ‘immune’ to criticism, regardless of the economy,\" said Jeremi Suri, a historian at the University of Texas and its Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. \"From Washington to Trump, every president has faced serious criticism from domestic adversaries and various groups. That is as American as apple pie.\" But even if you define the issue more broadly, Trump’s statement lacks evidence. For a quick-and-dirty analysis, we looked at two statistics that measure the strength of the economy and public support for every post-World War II president: the unemployment rate, and the president’s approval rating from the polling firm Gallup. We found four presidents -- Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and George W. Bush -- who experienced roughly similar low unemployment rates as Trump but whose approval percentages ranged from the low 20s to the high 30s. Here’s a summary: ![](\\" NHhE1IlkzD8HxRiLkdRLG6JKWnQaWlm4aUZKWRhzXo4WZr5Pg7CNQ8xe-jrWd- XdfW__97vxTsIovRdhrodSVxTZF2gtwvoEH9HHFPEeun7pz-50T\\"/) #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on September 11, 2024 in an Instagram post \"Debate moderators made the false claim to Donald Trump that there is nowhere in the United States where abortion is legal up until birth.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Jeff Cercone • September 13, 2024 Truman’s strong-economy doldrums lasted for the better part of two years, Johnson’s for a year and a half, Nixon’s for a couple of months, and Bush’s for about six months. What they all shared is a major issue other than the economy that sapped public support. \"If a president has a good economy, it gives them the chance to get a good approval rating -- but it’s not a guarantee,\" said Jeffrey A. Engel, director of the Southern Methodist University Center for Presidential History. For Truman, Johnson and Bush, a war proved unpopular. For Nixon, it was Watergate. \"War, when it is protracted, tends to be a downer for presidential approval,\" said Bert A. Rockman, an emeritus political science professor at Purdue University. \"All things being equal, a booming economy is a help to a president, unless they are caught up in conflicts that produce high numbers of casualties over a protracted period of time and that seem to be at an impasse.\" Johnson faced problems beyond the Vietnam War. \"I think he could have survived the war if not for race riots and assassinations,\" Engel said. \"It wasn’t just one thing. It was the multiplicity of them.\" Even presidents who maintain their approval ratings aren’t immune from \"criticism\" during good economic times, Suri said. Johnson and Bill Clinton \"were presidents during two of the best economic periods in post-war U.S. history, but both faced intensive criticism from Republicans and some Democrats,\" Suri said. \"The Republicans impeached Clinton at a moment of very low unemployment, strong economic growth, and even a budget surplus.\" (Clinton’s approval rating on the eve of his impeachment vote in the House was 63 percent.) Low unemployment rates don’t guarantee that everyone will be happy with the economy, either, Suri added. \"There is also the question of who benefits from good economic numbers,\" he said. \"Growing inequality, despite low unemployment, has been a source of criticism for all presidents since at least Nixon.\" The White House did not respond to an inquiry. Our ruling Trump said, \"In the ‘old days’ if you were President and you had a good economy, you were basically immune from criticism.\" Even setting aside the constitutionally protected right of Americans to petition the government with their grievances, Trump lacks basic evidence for his assertion. At least four prior presidents served during good economic times yet had approval ratings lower than Trump’s are currently, usually because of wars or scandal. We rate the statement Pants on Fire. Share the Facts 2019-04-23 20:14:16 UTC PolitiFact ![\\"PolitiFact\\"](\\" 1 1 7 ![\\"PolitiFact](\\" pof.png\\") PolitiFact Rating: Pants on Fire \"In the ‘old days’ if you were president and you had a good economy, you were basically immune from criticism.\" Donald Trump President ![](\\" a tweet Tuesday, April 23, 2019 2019-04-23 Read More info #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Donald Trump, tweet, April 23, 2019 Text of the First Amendment Gallup, Presidential Job Approval Center, accessed April 23, 2019 Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, national unemployment rate, accessed April 23, 2019 Email interview with Bert A. Rockman, emeritus political science professor at Purdue University, April 23, 2019 Email interview with David Greenberg, Rutgers University historian, April 23, 2019 Email interview with Jeremi Suri, historian at the University of Texas and its Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, April 23, 2019 Interview with Jeffrey A. Engel, director of the Southern Methodist University Center for Presidential History, April 23, 2019 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Louis Jacobson ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on August 22, 2024 in su discurso de aceptación en la Convención Nacional Demócrata: El expresidente Donald Trump “tiene la intención de promulgar lo que, en efecto, es un impuesto nacional sobre las ventas…que elevaría los precios para las familias de clase media a casi $4,000 al año”. ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Marta Campabadal Graus • September 5, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on August 23, 2024 in a campaign event in Glendale, Ariz.: “There’s been a 43% increase in violent crimes since I left office.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 4, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on August 22, 2024 in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention: Former President Donald Trump \"intends to enact what, in effect, is a national sales tax ... that would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4,000 a year.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • August 30, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Sheehy stated on September 27, 2024 in an ad: U.S. Sen. Jon Tester “voted to give taxpayer-funded health care to illegal immigrants.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • September 30, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on September 25, 2024 in an interview with MSNBC: “Even before the pandemic, (Donald Trump) lost manufacturing jobs, by most people’s estimates at least 200,000.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 26, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Sheehy stated on September 10, 2024 in an op-ed: Jon Tester “supported slashing Social Security benefits” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • September 25, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Walz stated on September 21, 2024 in in Bethlehem, Pa.: “Donald Trump added more to the national debt than any other president, ever.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 25, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Senate Leadership Fund stated on September 17, 2024 in a TV ad: “Two years ago, Bob Casey promised us his vote will reduce inflation. ... Casey’s vote for reckless spending” made inflation worse. ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 25, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Walz stated on September 21, 2024 in an event in Bethlehem, Pa.: “The last union member on a national ticket (was) Ronald Reagan.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • September 24, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on September 12, 2024 in a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina: Former President Donald Trump “started out with $400 million on a silver platter and then filed for bankruptcy six times.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 20, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Jon Tester stated on September 6, 2024 in a Facebook ad: “Tim Sheehy told us his health care plan: ‘We need to return health care to pure privatization.’ That would eliminate Medicare.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 20, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on September 13, 2024 in a rally in Las Vegas: Vice President Kamala Harris is “talking about bringing back the draft.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 18, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Sheehy stated on August 21, 2024 in an X post: The “‘Inflation Reduction Act’ increased inflation and drove prices sky high!” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • September 17, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Jon Tester stated on September 8, 2024 in a Facebook ad: Tim Sheehy “would let politicians like him ban abortion, with no exceptions for rape or to save a woman’s life, and criminalize women.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 12, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on September 7, 2024 in a rally in Mosinee, Wis.: Vice President Kamala Harris “cast the tiebreaking votes that caused the worst inflation in American history, costing a typical American family $28,000.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 8, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on August 22, 2024 in su discurso de aceptación en la Convención Nacional Demócrata: El expresidente Donald Trump “tiene la intención de promulgar lo que, en efecto, es un impuesto nacional sobre las ventas…que elevaría los precios para las familias de clase media a casi $4,000 al año”. ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Marta Campabadal Graus • September 5, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on August 23, 2024 in a campaign event in Glendale, Ariz.: “There’s been a 43% increase in violent crimes since I left office.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 4, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on August 22, 2024 in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention: Former President Donald Trump \"intends to enact what, in effect, is a national sales tax ... that would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4,000 a year.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • August 30, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Sheehy stated on September 27, 2024 in an ad: U.S. Sen. Jon Tester “voted to give taxpayer-funded health care to illegal immigrants.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • September 30, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on September 25, 2024 in an interview with MSNBC: “Even before the pandemic, (Donald Trump) lost manufacturing jobs, by most people’s estimates at least 200,000.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 26, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Sheehy stated on September 10, 2024 in an op-ed: Jon Tester “supported slashing Social Security benefits” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • September 25, 2024 ### No, Donald Trump is not the first president with low approval amid a good economy * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 30, 2024 in a Threads post: Image shows a photo of former President Donald Trump wading through floodwater after Hurricane Helene. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • October 2, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on September 29, 2024 in a rally in Erie, PA: Kamala Harris \"let in the 13,099 convicted murderers and opposes all efforts to find them and to remove them.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Marta Campabadal Graus • October 2, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 25, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Georgia coach Kirby Smart\'s family ends relationship with Taylor Swift: ‘We do not support her endorsement.’” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • October 1, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 20, 2024 in a Facebook post: “TD Jakes MYSTERIOUSLY VANISHES: The search for the renowned bishop begins!” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • October 1, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 29, 2024 in X posts: A biolab caught fire in Georgia right before the 2024 election. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • October 1, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on September 29, 2024 in a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania: Vice President Kamala Harris “even wants to legalize fentanyl.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Amy Sherman • October 1, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" House Majority PAC stated on September 9, 2024 in a television ad: Laurie Buckhout is “trying to get to Congress to pass a national abortion ban, allowing politicians to ban abortions with no exceptions and prosecute women if they get an abortion, treating women right here like criminals.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Paul Specht • October 1, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump Jr. stated on September 9, 2024 in a post: “Less than three months ago, Kamala Harris and her administration blocked 300,000 unvetted Haitian migrants from being deported out of our country.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 30, 2024 in an X post: Photo shows President Joe Biden lounging on the beach \"while towns all over America were being wiped out” by Hurricane Helene. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Samantha Putterman • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 30, 2024 in in social media posts: “Biden Announces: ‘2.4 billion more to Ukraine’ but ‘no more aid for Hurricane Helene.’” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 30, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. 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In the old days’ if you were president and you had a good economy you were basically immune from criticism