As if Hillary Clinton were not formidable enough of a rival, Donald Trump now faces competition from a new quarter – a largely unknown Republican dissident. He also kept his cool as some 14 protesters jumped to their feet and shouted at him at intervals as he spoke at the Detroit Economic Club. He was also cheered repeatedly by the crowd. “How do we get back to a healthy rate of economic growth which we haven’t had in a decade?”
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Much of the speech reflected Republican talking points, and critics said his proposals lacked detail.
Trump said he had been working on the plan with Ivanka and planned to unveil it in the coming weeks, along with new proposals on school choice and funding for police. He proposed lowering individual and corporate rates and a discounted 10 percent levy for businesses that bring back profits held overseas.
He did spell out proposed tax brackets and called for greater child care deductions for families.
“Now the whole party is unified with a tax message”, said Trump economic policy adviser Stephen Moore.
“I think the trade position remains pretty ugly”, he said. The club, whose members are area business leaders, is a traditional venue for political candidates to discuss their economic vision. Some frustrated Republicans plan to back a conservative alternative, former Central Intelligence Agency officer Evan McMullin.
A group called the Michigan People’s Campaign took credit for the protests, which they said were aimed at Trump’s recent comments about sexual harassment.
Clinton will outline her economic vision in MI on Thursday.
Trump’s speech is expected to focus on “empowering Americans by freeing up the necessary tools for everyone to gain economically”, according to his campaign, which said the policy he is outlining will stand in contrast to the “stale big government policy prescriptions” of Democrat Hillary Clinton.
She added that they “tried to make his old, exhausted ideas sound new” in his major Detroit speech. “He wants to basically just repackage trickle-down economics”.
Trump’s rough ride last week took its toll in opinion polls. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Sunday gave his Clinton an eight-point lead, 50 percent to 42 percent.
Trump neither explained how repealing the ACA would save jobs nor shed any light on what he intends to replace President Barack Obama’s health reform law with should it, in fact, be repealed.
“He is completely unqualified for the highest office in the land”, Klarman said in his statement, without specifying how he would further support Clinton.
Another warning sign for Trump: Two in three voters say Donald Trump lacks the temperament to be president. “Ours is the campaign of the future”.
Trump will also revisit his opposition to current trade deals, including his plan to renegotiate the NAFTA trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, and vow to improve intellectual property protections.
But much of the reaction was to Trump’s tax plan.
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“We are going to raise it on the wealthy because that’s where the money is!” she said, referring to her proposed tax rates. Trump’s new brackets (33%, 25% and 12%) mirror those embraced by House Republicans. The current corporate rate is 35 percent, and Republicans have long sought to reduce it.
