US President Donald Trump refused to say whether the United States will enter a recession this year, offering vague reassurances when pressed on the issue. \”I hate to predict things like that,\” he told a Fox News interviewer when asked if a recession was coming in 2025. The Atlanta Federal Reserve now predicts a 2.4% contraction in GDP growth for the first quarter of 2025, which would be the worst performance since the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these claims, economic warning signs are mounting. The stock market just ended its worst week since the November election. Consumer confidence has dropped, as shoppers worry about rising prices caused by Trump’s shifting tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. mass layoffs continue across government agencies, with billionaire advisor Elon Musk overseeing widespread job cuts. Goldman Sachs raised its estimate of a US recession in the next 12 months from 15% to 20%. Morgan Stanley also predicted weaker growth than expected. A recession is typically defined as two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. The last US recession occurred in early 2020 during the CO VID-19 crisis, when millions lost jobs.