Trump news at a glance: President claims tariffs behind unexpected growth, but consumer confidence falls

The surprisingly strong growth reflected increases in consumer spending, exports and government spending', according to officials. Key US politics stories from Tuesday 23 December

The US economy surged over the summer, the commerce department announced on Tuesday, with gross domestic product (GDP) - a broad measure of the value of goods and services - rising at an annualized rate of 4.3% over the third quarter, far higher than expected and its fastest rate in two years.

The report comes as polls show Americans have soured on Donald Trump's handling of the economy and his tariffs. The supreme court is currently weighing legal challenges to those levies.