https://www.axios.com/2025/05/03/trump-recession-nbc-meet-the-press

President Trump arrives in Warren, Mich., to deliver a speech marking his 100th day in office on April 29. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President Trump arrives in Warren, Mich., to deliver a speech marking his 100th day in office on April 29. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump says a recession is OK in the short term, in a clip of a pre-recorded interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker” released on Friday.

Why it matters: Business owners and politicians alike have shared fears of a recession given the uncertainty surrounding the president’s tariffs.

• Apollo chief economist Torsten Slok put the probability of a “Voluntary Trade Reset Recession” at 90% in a 40-page slide deck last month.

The latest: When Welker asked Trump whether he’s “comfortable with the country potentially dipping into a recession for a period of time” if he were able to achieve his long-term goals, the president initially avoided answering the question directly.

• “Some people on Wall Street say that we’re going to have the greatest economy in history. Why don’t you talk about them?” he instead said.
• But after Welker pushed more, Trump responded, “Yeah, everything’s OK. I said, this is a transition period. I think we’re going to do fantastically.”
• When asked if he was worried about a recession, Trump said: “Anything can happen. But I think we’re going to have the greatest economy in the history of our country. I think we’re going to have the greatest economic boom in history.”

The full interview will publish on NBCNews.com on Sunday.

Go deeper: How tariffs can cause a recession