President Donald Trump offered an early look at the closely held December jobs data.
Trump posted on Truth Social at 8:20 pm ET on Thursday a chart that included unreleased figures.
On Friday morning, economists were able to connect the dots following the release of the December jobs report to the public.
Truth Social/Business Insider
Historically, presidents are briefed a day ahead of the report’s publication. By protocol, the president and White House staff are not supposed to comment on the report until it is released.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Trump had a similar episode during his first term. In 2018, Trump touted jobs numbers an hour before the report’s release. Economists criticized the president at the time, though the White House said Trump had done nothing untoward.
“I don’t think he gave anything away, incidentally,” Larry Kudlow, the chairman of the National Economic Council, said in 2018. “I think this is all according to routine, law, and custom.”
