U.S. economy’s growth falls short of Trump’s 3% goal for 2018

The nation’s economic growth declined at the end of last year for the second straight quarter, denying President Trump the 3% annual increase he had promised that Republican tax cuts would spur.

And growth this year and next won’t hit that level either, economists said.

Total economic output, also known as gross domestic product, grew 2.9% in 2018, the Commerce Department said Thursday in a report that was delayed several weeks because of the partial shutdown of the federal government. It was the first of three estimates and could be revised up or down in the coming weeks.