Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former CBO Director and current president of the American Action Forum, offers a critical assessment of the current and projected U.S. economic landscape, particularly under the Trump administration. He highlights significant discrepancies in reported job numbers, attributing them to a shrinking Bureau of Labor Statistics budget and staff, which leads to a less complete monthly picture of the economy. Holtz-Eakin characterizes the current job market as "dead in the water," with stalled hiring and a challenging environment for recent college graduates, despite low unemployment. He also criticizes government intervention in specific industries like Intel and U.S. Steel, deeming it "unwise" and arguing that it distorts competition and mirrors practices the U.S. has decried from other nations. Furthermore, he dismisses claims of substantial GDP growth from tariffs as "gibberish," stating that tariffs ultimately act as a tax increase that will hinder, not boost, economic expansion.