Opinion

Five important reasons why the Trump economy is about to really blast off

Federal workforce cuts and spending reductions set stage for sustainable growth

By E.J. Antoni Fox News

Published February 21, 2026 8:00am EST

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If you’re struggling to make sense of the economy today, you’re not alone. Many so-called experts completely whiffed their forecasts, while positive economic data — the Dow Jones Industrial Average at 50,000 points — seemingly contradicts negative survey responses. But understanding five key elements reveals we’re about to be off to the races.

First, 2025 was a year of transition for the economy. Under Democrat President Joe Biden, particularly his last two years in office, job growth was disproportionately due to government hiring. Similarly, government purchases played an outsized role in growing overall economic activity, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP).

President Donald Trump turned off those spigots, slamming the brakes on government spending growth and firing a record number of bureaucrats at the federal level. Shrinking the unproductive public sector while growing the private sector is a welcomed change,........

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