The Trump administration seized on a better-than-expected Consumer Price Index (CPI) report Wednesday to herald a trifecta of victories: easing inflation, robust job creation, and a near-total halt to illegal border crossings.
In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared that “America is roaring back” under President Donald Trump, crediting his policies of deregulation, energy dominance, and border security for reversing the “economic and inflation nightmare” left by the Biden-Harris administration.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that February’s CPI rose a modest 0.2%—below the 0.3% economists had forecast—bringing the annual inflation rate to 2.8%. Core inflation, excluding volatile food and energy prices, also hit 0.2% monthly, dipping to a 3.1% yearly rate, its lowest in nearly four years.
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“This inflation report, much like last week’s jobs report, is far better than the media predicted and the so-called ‘experts’ expected,” Leavitt said. “When will they learn to stop doubting President Trump?”
The numbers offered a rare breather for consumers battered by years of rising costs, with mortgage rates also falling to their lowest since December, fueling optimism for homebuyers. The administration tied the relief to Trump’s aggressive rollback of regulations and push for energy production, echoing tactics from his first term that he claims tamed prices then and now.
Beyond inflation, the White House spotlighted a wave of corporate investments as proof of an economic resurgence. GE Aerospace unveiled a $1 billion expansion of its U.S. manufacturing operations across 16 states, promising 5,000 new jobs.
Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings pledged $35 million to ramp up its Wisconsin plant, while Merck opened a $1 billion facility in North Carolina, part of an $8 billion U.S. investment plan over the coming years. “President Trump’s commitment to deregulation and leveling the playing field for American workers continues to attract unprecedented investment,” Leavitt said.
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On the border, the administration touted a staggering 99% drop in migration through Panama’s Darien Gap, a notorious route for illegal crossings, attributing it to Trump’s hardline security measures. Reports suggest would-be migrants are turning back in droves, a sharp pivot from the porous borders of recent years. “Border security pays off,” Leavitt’s statement proclaimed, framing the crackdown as a cornerstone of Trump’s early second-term agenda.
The rosy narrative contrasts with lingering economic unease. While inflation has cooled, it remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, and first-quarter GDP growth is trending negative, per the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow tracker. Critics argue that Trump’s escalating tariffs—25% on steel and aluminum effective Wednesday—could reignite price pressures, a risk the administration dismisses as it doubles down on protectionism.
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For now, the White House is savoring the moment, casting the CPI data, job announcements, and border stats as harbingers of a “Golden Age of America.”
“As he successfully did in his first term, President Trump is driving down costs,” Leavitt said, vowing that the administration will keep pushing to unlock prosperity. Whether the gains hold amid global trade tensions and domestic challenges remains a question—but on Wednesday, Team Trump was all about winning.
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