US President Donald Trump attempted to deflect blame and reassure the public following the country’s first quarterly economic contraction in three years, insisting that growth would soon rebound despite rising concerns over tariffs and a cooling economy.

The Commerce Department’s data showed that the US economy shrank by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025, as companies rushed to import goods ahead of Trump’s planned tariff hikes.

Speaking to reporters, Trump blamed the weak figures on “distortions” in import activity and federal spending, while pointing to private investment and consumer spending as indicators of underlying strength. “We turned them around, and we were getting them really turned around,” Trump said during a televised Cabinet meeting.

Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro echoed the sentiment, calling the GDP decline “the best negative print” he had seen, arguing that the import surge was a sign of business confidence.

However, the administration’s messaging was at times contradictory. While some officials cited tariff-related spending as a positive, Trump dismissed suggestions that his trade policies had contributed to stock market volatility.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, approval of Trump’s economic management dropped to 36%, with overall disapproval climbing to 56%. The numbers come as Trump marks 100 days in office for his second term.

Democrats seized on the data. “It is the Trump economy, it is a failed economy, and the American people know it,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Economists warned that policy choices, particularly tariffs, could deepen the downturn unless reversed swiftly.