Strong economic report welcome boost for
Clinton, Trump calls it 'dismal'
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[October 29, 2016]
By Steve Holland
MANCHESTER, N.H. (Reuters) - A
stronger-than-expected U.S. economic report on Friday came at a good
time for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, although
Republican contender Donald Trump's campaign blasted the numbers as
"dismal."
The Commerce Department reported that the economy grew at a 2.9 percent
annual rate in the third quarter, its fastest pace in two years and
higher than the expected 2.6 percent, thanks to a surge in exports and a
rebound in investment.
With just 11 days to go before the Nov. 8 election, the report bolstered
Clinton, who has positioned herself as the best candidate to continue
years of economic expansion under President Barack Obama.
More Americans say jobs and the economy are their No.1 priority when
they decide who to vote for than any other issue.
Trump argues that as a successful businessman and political outsider, he
is the best person to take a new approach to rebuilding an economy that
has sent too many jobs overseas and left many Americans struggling to
find decent jobs.
His campaign said the figures are still not good enough.
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"America can do better than the modest growth of 2.9 percent recorded
for the 3rd quarter and the dismal growth of 1.5 percent for the past
year," Dan Kowalski, Trump's deputy policy director, said in a
statement.
"Growth hasn't risen above 3 percent for a full year in any year of the
Obama presidency," he said.
While many voters do not follow economic indicators closely, outside
experts said the release was still a good one for Clinton. She is
seeking to solidify her lead in opinion polls as the Democratic Party
works to win as many seats as possible in the U.S. Senate and House of
Representatives, where Republicans now control majorities.
"Today's release will likely improve the perception of economic
conditions in the U.S. and slightly increase the odds of a Democratic
president remaining in the White House," said Brian Schaitkin, senior
economist at the Conference Board.
Clinton's camp said Friday's report showed "real progress" since Obama
took office in 2009, when the country was struggling to emerge from
economic recession.
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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump appears at a campaign
event in Toledo, Ohio, U.S., October 27 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
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"With more than 15 million jobs created since early 2010 and real median
incomes growing more than 5 percent last year, it's clear we've made
real progress coming back from the crisis," Clinton senior policy
advisor Jacob Leibenluft said in a statement.
But he added that there is still more that can be done.
Clinton was campaigning on Friday in Iowa, where polls show she and
Trump running neck-and-neck, and in Michigan, a traditionally
Democratic state hit hard by the movement offshore of many formerly
well-paying American manufacturing jobs.
Trump was holding rallies in Iowa as well as in another closely
contested swing state, New Hampshire, and in Maine, where his
campaign sees a chance to grab one of four electoral votes.
In the last weeks of the campaign, Clinton has dramatically widened
her advantage over Trump in ad spending, amid questions over the
celebrity businessman's pledge to contribute more than $100 million
of his own money.
He spent $56 million through the end of September, and only $31,000
since, according to filings.
Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News reports
that the candidate has stopped putting his own money into his
campaign are not true. "He has said publicly many times he is in for
$100 million and he is happy to invest in his campaign," she said.
(Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Patricia Zengerle in
Washington; Writing by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Alistair Bell)
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