US could see 'zero' growth in first quarter if shutdown continues, says White House chief economist

The US could post zero economic growth in the first quarter if the federal government does not reopen, the chairman of President Donald Trump's Council of Economic Advisers said Wednesday.

"If [the shutdown] extended for the whole quarter, and given the fact that the first quarter tends to be low because of residual seasonality, then you could end up with a number very close to zero in the first quarter, Kevin Hassett, Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), said in an interview to CNN.

Asked whether GDP growth could hit zero in the quarter, he said, "Yes, we could."