The phrase highlights a hypothetical situation where a negative economic outcome, specifically a stock market downturn attributed to policies or actions associated with the Trump administration, is so significant or obvious that it cannot be plausibly presented in a more favorable light, even by media outlets perceived as sympathetic to the former president. For example, if the stock market experienced a precipitous decline immediately following a specific policy announcement, and that decline was widely recognized and documented, attempts to frame the event positively would be considered implausible.
Its importance lies in suggesting the limits of media influence and spin. It implies that there are objective realities that cannot be effectively masked or reinterpreted, even with considerable effort. This underscores the power of tangible economic data and observable market behaviors to override attempts at narrative control. Historically, administrations have often attempted to manage public perception of economic events; however, this phrase suggests a scenario where such efforts would be demonstrably unsuccessful.
