Democrats: Trump's Job Growth Isn't Enough, Demand 'Moral' Economy

Democrats running for president in 2020 say the rapid job growth and low unemploymentunder President Trump isn't enough, and say America needs to strive for a "moral" economy.

Their calls seem to reflect a consensus among Democrats on how to attack what many agree is a healthy economy that's creating jobs under Trump, and the rising influence of socialist candidates and lawmakers in the Democratic Party. Less than a year before the first primaries, Democrats appear to have settled on an argument that says the economic gains seen over the last two years aren't being "shared" with others.

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Democratic criticism of the economy coincides with a growing conversation about the role of billionaires in politics. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts led the attacks on potential candidates like former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, to thwart any attempt to use their money to overpower the will of the base.

"A primary is an opportunity to hear from the grassroots, to see what you can build, to see what kind of energy is out there. Get out there, trust your message, trust what it is that you're fighting for," the Wall Street critic told MSNBC in January.

Schultz, in response, recoiled at the billionaire label while on his book tour. The entrepreneur, who is mulling an independent, third-party campaign, prefers instead to be referred to as a person "of means."

The U.S. economy in January added 200,000 new jobs and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1 percent, according to the Department of Labor this month. While White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett warned observers on CNN in January that there might not be any growth this quarter because of the historic 35-day partial government shutdown, the country's gross domestic product increased last quarter by 3.4 percent.