President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE has a new outlook on the legitimacy of the government’s monthly jobs reports, White House press secretary Sean Spicer Sean Michael SpicerKellyanne Conway to leave White House at end of month Pro-Trump duo Diamond and Silk launch new program on Newsmax TV The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Supreme Court's unanimous decision on the Electoral College MORE said on Friday.

Asked about Trump's past dismissal of Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs numbers in the past in light of Friday's strong economic report, Spicer quoted the president:

“I talked to the president prior to this, and he said to quote him very clearly: 'They may have been phony in the past, but it’s very real now.'"

Spicer and reporters present laughed, though it wasn't immediately clear whether Trump was joking.

The economy added 235,000 jobs in February, according to bureau statistics — a sizable gain that Trump has eagerly taken credit for.

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During his presidential campaign, Trump often slammed the government’s labor and employments statistics, calling monthly jobs reports “phony” and the unemployment rate “fiction.” He also frequently claimed that the unemployment rate was much higher than reported.

“The unemployment rate is probably 20 percent, but I will tell you, you have some great economists that will tell you it's at 30, 32,” he said in September 2015. “And the highest I've heard so far is 42 percent."

The growth in February is consistent with the upward trends that occurred under the Obama administration. The economy has expanded for 77 consecutive months.

Nevertheless, Trump’s promise to roll back government regulations has spurred economic enthusiasm.

The latest jobs report also gives the Federal Reserve a vote of confidence to move forward with its plan to raise interest rates next week.