(Radio Iowa) – A new report from the U-S Department of Commerce shows the nation’s economy just had its weakest quarter in three years, which Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson blames on the policies of the previous administration. Hinson, a Republican from Marion, says the recent downturns in consumer confidence, the stock market, and the gross domestic product are not the result of the sweeping tariffs President Trump imposed, then paused, on dozens of countries.

“I do think it’s clear that President Trump is ushering in the new era, the Golden Age for our economy,” Hinson says. “He knows the formula for a strong economy and he has a proven track record of growing the economy, and the economy will bounce back from ‘Biden-flation.’ We’re gonna lock in the tax cuts for the American people.” Some economists argue Trump’s efforts to change up global trade will bring a spike in inflation and could spiral the economy into a recession.

Hinson counters: “Some of what we’re seeing in the markets and the economy is a reaction to bad economic policy for four years,” adding, “Those policies don’t turn around overnight.” Wednesday’s report from the Commerce Department finds the nation’s G-D-P dropped three-tenths of a point in the first quarter, a significant shift from the two-point-four percent gain in last year’s fourth quarter.

“The number that I am really looking at here is gross domestic investment. That soared by over 20% and when you look at what’s happening with that, people are investing in America again,” Hinson says. “When you bring back that investment to the United States, that means more American jobs and we’re going to continue to see that unleash our economy.”

Hinson says Trump is working to secure more international trade deals, noting, she’s just returned from a bipartisan Congressional trade mission to Korea. “They want to do more business in the United States. They already buy $2 billion of American beef. They want to see those numbers go up. They want to sell us cars. They want to make those cars in the United States,” Hinson says. “There are a lot of great opportunities going forward for not only investments and good trade deals, good global trade policy, but also holding China accountable, which continues to be a priority for me.”

Trump posted the following on social media Wednesday, after the Commerce report was released: “Our Country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden ‘Overhang.’ This will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS, only that he left us with bad numbers, but when the boom begins, it will be like no other. BE PATIENT!!!”