The strange things the Trump team keeps saying about the economy | CNN Politics

The Trump administration accounts for one of the highest concentrations of billionaires in the world. As negative economic perceptions have proliferated in recent months, the administration has repeatedly made comments that were ill-advised at best and gobsmackingly out of touch at worst. And there’s no sign of a course correction. The Republican-turned-independent former congressman Justin Amash of Michigan wagered Wednesday: “It’s like this administration is now just trolling MAGA.” He was responding to White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett on Wednesday touting Americans’ increasing credit card spending. “In fact, I had the head of one of the big five banks in my office yesterday going through the credit card data, and just as [Treasury] Secretary [Scott] Bessent said, credit card spending is through the roof,” Hassett told Fox Business Network. “They’re spending more on gasoline, but they’re spending more on everything else, too.” Hassett, who like Bessent is not among the administration’s billionaires, was arguing that consumer spending is strong, which suggests a healthy economy. But it could certainly be read as a reflection of rising prices and A