US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Monday sought to move beyond a week of turmoil, turning his attention to the economy with a major policy address in which he cast himself as a president who could bring new jobs and prosperity to “those who have the very least,” and warning that his rival, US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, would be a steward of stagnation.
Joined by his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Trump chose Detroit, Michigan, as his backdrop to unveil plans to overhaul the tax code, tear up trade agreements and rethink the US’ energy policy during a speech at the Detroit Economic Club.
Monday offered Trump a chance for something of a reset, allowing him to lay out a broader framework of his plans for the economy. Thus far, he has promised to spur economic growth by cutting taxes, closing loopholes that benefit the superrich, penalizing companies that move their operations to other countries and renegotiating trade deals that do not favor US workers.
Trump offered new details on Monday, calling for an end to the US’ estate tax, exclusion of childcare expenses from taxation and a 15 percent cap on all business income tax. He is also promising to use executive powers to impose a moratorium on new agency regulations.
On trade, Trump underscored his opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. He also wants to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and label China a currency manipulator.
On energy policy, Trump said he would tear up the Paris Climate Agreement and halt US payments to UN global warming programs.
Clinton offered a simple reply to Trump’s economic address on Monday: “Don’t let a friend vote Trump.”
At a rally in St Petersburg, Florida, Clinton said the plans Trump outlined earlier in Detroit would push the country back into recession, warning that his plans benefit the rich and do little to create jobs or boost the economy.
“His tax plans would give super big tax breaks to large corporations and the really wealthy,” Clinton said, characterizing the proposals, which include substantial tax cuts, as “trickle-down economics.”
Clinton countered with her own economic proposals, saying she wants to invest in public works projects and more educational opportunities and will tax top earners to pay for her plans. She is expected to speak to the Detroit Economic Club tomorrow.
Additional reporting by AP
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese