NBC host Chuck Todd mocked President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE on Friday for taking credit for a strong second quarter economic report.

"You could tell there was sort of an urgency in the president’s voice that bordered on — of almost pulling a muscle trying to pat yourself on the back," Todd told NBC's Savannah Guthrie.

The Commerce Department announced Friday that the U.S. economy expanded at a 4.1 percent rate for the second quarter, the highest growth recorded since 2014. The report prompted the president to declare from the South Lawn that the U.S. is "going to go a lot higher than these numbers — and these are great numbers."

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Todd, who moderates the network's "Meet the Press," said special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE's Russia investigation is creating "an urgency" for the president to attempt to shift focus onto positive news.

"A good economic story to tell, the president wants to highlight it amidst, obviously, the Russia investigation and facing the midterm elections as well.” Todd said.

"Today felt like an attempt — and you could even hear it — he kept veering from his remarks and then going back to the remarks and extending them even longer," Todd continued. "But all in a sense of trying really hard to say, 'Hey, please pay attention to the economic story and ignore all the other stuff.'"

CNN reported Thursday that Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime personal attorney, said then-candidate Trump knew of a meeting in June 2016 at Trump Tower between his son, Donald Trump Jr. Don John Trump'Tiger King' star Joe Exotic requests pardon from Trump: 'Be my hero please' Zaid Jilani discusses Trump's move to cancel racial sensitivity training at federal agencies Trump International Hotel in Vancouver closes permanently MORE, and Russians with connections to the Kremlin. The Russians were expected to offer Trump's campaign dirt on Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonFox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio Trump, Biden court Black business owners in final election sprint The power of incumbency: How Trump is using the Oval Office to win reelection MORE, according to the network.

According to CNN, Cohen does not have evidence to support his story.

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Trump refused to take questions during a news conference about Cohen's claim, drawing the ire of reporters. The president, instead, opted to focus on the economy's growth rate while taking a show at his Democratic and Republican predecessors.

Trump touted his administration's trade deals while predicting that U.S. economic growth won't be just "a one-time shot."

Economists expressed doubt that the current growth rate was sustainable, attributing the considerable increase to consumer spending driven by tax cuts passed last December and the urgency to purchase U.S. soybeans before the effect of Trump's tariffs is seen.