David Rubenstein Predicts 3 Fed Rate Cuts, Emphasizes Trump's Election Prospects: 'He's A Serious Political Force'

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, David Rubenstein, co-chairman of the Carlyle Group and renowned philanthropist, offered predictions on interest rate cuts and the U.S. political landscape for 2024, including Donald Trump‘s rising prospects in the upcoming presidential election.

Rubenstein’s Views On The US Economy

In his opening remarks, Rubenstein recalled the discredited forecasts of a U.S. economic downturn. “The U.S. will have grown probably around 2 1/2% for 2023, which is much better than anybody really projected at the time,” he stated, highlighting the resilience of the U.S. economy.

Addressing the major risks for the U.S. economy in 2024, Rubenstein pointed to the government’s struggles with timely appropriation bills and dealing with debt limit issues. However, his outlook on Federal Reserve policies was notably optimistic.

Rubenstein anticipates potentially three rate cuts in 2024 as inflation eases. He gave an interesting perspective on the timing, saying, “If you have rate cuts right before a presidential election, it will be seen as helping the candidate who’s in the White House because it will gin up the economy.”

Presidential election years typically don’t coincide with recessions, Rubenstein said, as Congress often increases spending and the Federal Reserve usually adopts a more lenient stance on monetary policy during these periods.

However, “the Republican nominee would not be happy with that,” he added.

‘Trump Could Be Reelected’

Rubenstein also discussed the upcoming presidential election. “I don’t think anybody outside of the Trump family would have predicted that Donald Trump’s popularity would soar to the point where he has a reasonably good chance of locking up the Republican nomination by March,” he said.

If this happens, this would set a record for the earliest conclusion to a contested presidential nomination in the Republican Party. Moreover, it would mark the first instance in history where the Republican Party has nominated the same person for the presidency three consecutive times, Rubenstein said.

He emphasized Trump’s strong political momentum and dismissed the impact of legal challenges on his campaign. “People should recognize that he’s a serious political force and should not discount the fact that he could well be elected again,” he stated.

Rubenstein humorously mentioned his own presidential prospects, saying, “People have suggested to me that I should run for president. I say I’m only 74 and you need to be older to run.”

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Five States Are Crucial For The Victory

Rubenstein said that the focus for the upcoming presidential race will be on pivotal states such as Arizona, Georgia, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

“In the last two presidential elections, 45 states out of the 50 voted exactly the same way. Only five states voted differently… Right now, Donald Trump is ahead in all five of those states,” he said.

According to the billionaire philanthropist, “the most important thing you can say about presidential elections in our country is things change all the time. And we won’t know for sure probably until… about a month before the election.”

On U.S.-China relations, Rubenstein was skeptical of any significant improvement in 2024, especially during an election year. He doubted that either candidate would advocate for closer ties with China, suggesting potential shifts might occur post-election.

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