US Secretary of Commerce praises Trump for 'powering the greatest growth' in US history
Howard Lutnick claimed the U.S. GDP could grow by 6% in the first quarter, thanks to the tariffs.
Feb. 12 2026, Published 5:32 a.m. ET
Following the bumper job growth report that defied Wall Street expectations, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick swiftly claimed that President Donald Trump is powering the “greatest growth the United States has ever seen.” In an interview during a Breitbart News policy event, Lutnick explained how the administration's policies have worked wonders for the economy, as it added a whopping 130,000 jobs in January, nearly double what economists polled by the LSEG expected.
The remarks come after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the January jobs growth report. As per the data, the U.S. economy added 130,000 jobs, well above the LSEG estimate of 70,000. However, government payrolls declined by 42,000 jobs, with a cut of 34,000 jobs at the federal level and a reduction of 18,000 jobs at the state level. “The president is driving growth in America. If you think about how you drive growth, you cut down your imports by tariffing them, and you drive your exports by opening all of these foreign markets and driving their tariffs down. And, those two things obviously drive growth,” Lutnick explained to Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow. He claimed that the trade policies brought $18 trillion into the economy through domestic investment, and all the factories that are being set up will bring about a "rebirth of manufacturing" in the U.S. “I think you’re going to get the greatest growth the United States has ever seen," he added.
Lutnick shared that he believes the first quarter of 2026 will experience six percent [GDP] growth for "the greatest economy in the world.” He then pegged the U.S. economic growth numbers against the dismal economic growth of the United Kingdom and Europe, as both posted less than one percent growth in the last quarter. He also cited Japan's economy, which was shrinking before stating, “We are going to be who we are. If we’re the greatest economy in the world and the greatest country in the world, let’s grow like we’re the greatest economy in the world and the greatest country in the world. Let’s take care of Americans."
Lutnick further added that the U.S. was the greatest consumption-based economy, and the world won't make it without Americans. "We're the buyer of the world", he remarked, adding that President Trump's tariffs sent "shudders" through the world, causing the markets to open up. "We need to reassert who we are and stop everyone from taking advantage of us," Lutnick remarked.
While the jobs report sent shockwaves through the media, economists argued that the underlying weakness in the job market remained. Josh Hirt, senior economist at Vanguard, told CNN that the employment gains were concentrated in just one sector, health care, and while wages grew, the gains were softer at a time when high costs remain the top issue for American consumers. Furthermore, there were fewer job postings than the number of job seekers in the economy, which raises concerns of a "jobless expansion" of the U.S. economy.
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