Casting doubt over Kamala Harris’ economic vision, Donald Trump said Wednesday that the Democrat’s “fake” pledges to help workers ring hollow given her failure to address the nation’s economic and immigration challenges as vice president.
Mr. Trump said it is hard to believe Ms. Harris is ready to deliver on her promises to blue-collar workers when she has had plenty of time to do that as President Biden’s sidekick.
“Kamala Harris is supposedly announcing her so-called plans to support manufacturing and wealth creation. Why didn’t she do it?” Mr. Trump said in North Carolina. “She has been there almost four years.”
“Kamala goes to work every day in the White House,” Mr. Trump said. “Families are suffering now. So, if she has a plan, she should stop grandstanding and just do it. Just do it. You have a few months left — do it.”
“You have plans for the border?” he said. “Do it now.”
Ms. Harris has been coy about detailing her policy vision, but she was set to outline her plans for boosting the economy and strengthening the manufacturing industry on Wednesday.
She also is expected last this week to make her first stop as the Democratic presidential nominee at the U.S.-Mexico border later this week.
The economy and immigration have been among voters’ top concerns, according to polls that consistently show Mr. Trump is more trusted to handle those issues.
Yet, there have been signs that voters are growing more optimistic about the economy thanks to easing inflation, lower interest rates and increased wages. Ms. Harris also has been gaining ground on the issue.
Mr. Trump warned voters Wednesday that she has been a total disaster and the “economy is doing, really, really badly.”
Describing Ms. Harris as a “tax queen” and “one-woman economic wrecking ball,” Mr. Trump predicted that she would criticize his vow to dramatically expand tariffs to pressure businesses to relocate to the U.S.
Mr. Trump said the tariffs he enacted as president and plans to build on if elected president have helped save the manufacturing industry, including in states such as North Carolina, which is renowned for its furniture manufacturing.
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“To the workers of this state, when you hear Kamala Harris attack my tariffs today, you wouldn’t have anything left in this state if I didn’t do what I did,” he said.
Mr. Trump said he would push Congress to lower the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15%, but only for companies that relocate their businesses to the U.S. and hire American workers.
He said combining that with stiff tariffs on imports would encourage businesses to comply.
“What is going to happen is they are going to end up building their factory here so they don’t have to pay the tariffs,” Mr. Trump said. “Butt when they don’t, we are going to take in a lot of money.”
Mr. Trump said the difference between him and Ms. Harris is that he has a proven record of talking the talk and walking the walk.
“Under my plan, American workers will no longer be worried about losing your jobs to foreign nations,” he said. “Instead, foreign nations will be worried about losing their jobs to America.”
“We are going to take their jobs, we are going to take their factories, and we are going to bring trillions and trillions of dollars of wealth back to the USA and back to North Carolina,” he said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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