President praises strong job report and urges markets not to punish growth

The president said the latest jobs report was "incredible" and "fantastic," urging markets to reward — not punish — stronger economic data and arguing that growth does not necessarily fuel inflation.

Why it matters: The remarks signal a public push for looser financial conditions and underscore the administration's focus on growth as a policy goal ahead of economic discussions with Federal Reserve decisionmakers.

In the gaggle, a reporter asked whether recent job numbers change the Fed's likely timing for rate moves. The president deferred, saying he would "let Kevin make that decision," but reiterated he would like to see lower interest rates because "each point...is $600,000,000." He argued cutting rates would save the country "hundreds of millions" and that two points would double those savings.

The president tied the argument to real-economy indicators, saying the U.S. is seeing more auto plants and unprecedented levels of manufacturing investment. He said strong growth should be allowed to continue "not to stymie the growth," blaming over-emphasis on inflation for markets falling on good news.

Reporters pressed on how long it might take to approve nominees involved in economic roles; the president declined to flesh out a timeline and said he was reviewing several candidates.

What comes next: The president framed his preference for lower rates publicly but left the timing and decisions to Federal Reserve officials. No formal administration policy change or request to the Fed was announced at the gaggle.