Is Trump's latest tax shift GOP heresy?
In a move unexpected for a Republican presidential candidate, the party's presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, said Sunday he is open to raising taxes on wealthy Americans.聽聽
"They'll go up," the聽billionaire聽told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week." "I don't mind paying more. I'll be honest with you."聽聽
Trump's remarks Sunday morning represent a聽聽he put out in September,聽which calls for giving聽wealthy Americans a tax break.聽The聽richest quarter of Americans would pay 25 percent of their income in taxes, compared to the present rate of聽39.6 percent. 聽
But before that, Trump had said he is in favor of raising taxes on wealthy Americans, including himself. Sunday morning,聽Stephanopoulos聽pressed聽Trump聽about this聽incongruity.聽In his聽reply, Trump said聽it聽plays into the聽art of the聽deal. 聽聽
"By the time it gets negotiated, it's going to be a different plan," he said. "Look, when I'm negotiating with the Democrats, I'm putting in a plan.聽I'm putting in my optimum plan. It's going to be negotiated." 聽
Trump's comments came after Republican party's two living former presidents and highest-ranking office holder said this past week聽聽in the election. 聽
While Trump boasted that聽his plan raises taxes more than any other candidate has proposed, the plan聽also clashes head-on with聽an ethos within his party that resists raising taxes. In fact, Trump was聽only one of two Republican presidential聽candidates聽who declined聽to sign the Americans for Tax Reform's "Taxpayer Protection Pledge," a time-honored聽. The other candidate was Jeb Bush.
Yet, Grover Norquist, the organization's president,聽praised Trump's tax plan, calling it聽.聽And just last week, Mr. Norquist tweeted he would stand behind聽Trump's bid for presidency, assuming the alternative is Hillary Clinton. 聽
Only time will tell if聽Trump will Sunday on ABC and earlier on NBC's "Meet the Press." Taxing hedge-fund聽managers is one of five聽"big"聽issues Trump聽, reported聽The Washington Post on Friday. In a Fox News interview in August, Trump said hedge-fund managers should pay more in taxes, and he implied that Hillary Clinton was too close to Wall Street to force them to pay more. Under Trump's tax plan,聽hedge-fund managers would likely see their taxes reduced. 聽聽
Another issue聽Trump changed course on is an increase to the minimum wage, reported the Post.聽At a debate in November,聽Trump聽rejected a聽minimum-wage聽increase聽because he said it would hurt聽US firms'聽ability聽to compete with foreign rivals.聽On Wednesday and again on Sunday, Trump spoke in contrast to this聽position.聽聽
"I haven't decided in terms of numbers. But I think people have to get more," he told Stephanopoulos.聽"But my real minimum wage is going to be 鈥� I'm going to bring companies back into this country and they're going to make a lot more than the $15 even. They're going to make a lot more than that."
