Donald Trump’s former White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Thursday surprised Fox News’ Sandra Smith with his acknowledgment that the U.S. economy under President Joe Biden isn’t as bad as he’s previously claimed.

“Whoa! That’s a headline,” Smith responded to Kudlow’s admission in an exchange that was shared online by The Daily Beast.

Kudlow, who is now a Fox Business host, said Biden “gets his due” following a Bureau of Economic Analysis report that GDP grew by 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Biden has hailed the news, as Kudlow said the president should.

“If I were he, I would be out slinging that hash, too. No problem,” said Kudlow.

But the former Trump ally did issue a couple of caveats, though.

Government spending is fueling the growth, he claimed.

“I don’t want to be accused of denying his numbers. But I’m saying if you put it in perspective, it really is, a big chunk of it is government spending,” he said.

Kudlow also put Biden’s failure to enjoy a polling boost ― despite the positive economic news ― down to the lingering effects of inflation.