Story highlights The government announced 235,000 new jobs in FebruaryTrump previously called into question Bureau of Labor Statistics numbersWashington (CNN) The unemployment numbers candidate Donald Trump assailed for months on the campaign trail as "phony" and fictional are suddenly up to snuff. The numbers haven't changed, nor has the Bureau of Labor Statistics' methodology for compiling them, but with the jobless rate ticking down and hiring on the rise, Trump is eager to point to the economic indicators as a sign that his presidency has been a boon for the economy. Spicer's response prompted inevitable laughter in a room of reporters mindful of Trump's repeated smear of government-compiled jobs numbers. JUST WATCHED Spicer: Jobs reports aren't phony anymore Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Spicer: Jobs reports aren't phony anymore 00:46"Don't believe these phony numbers when you hear 4.9 (%) and 5% unemployment," Trump told his supporters after winning the New Hampshire primary in early 2016. "The number's probably 28, 29, as high as 35.

Source: CNN March 10, 2017 22:30 UTC