Podesta: Trump Will Take U.S. Back to the Twentieth Century
Clinton presidential campaign chairman John Podesta appeared on the FOX Business Network’s Morning’s with Maria to discuss the first presidential debate, saying “Clinton rocked it."
“Our strategy was to talk about the future. Talk about her plans. Talk about the economy particularly, but to draw contrast. To say that these are two very different choices. They have very different experience. She has a history of getting things done for children, for families, for people as First Lady, as a senator from New York. He [Trump] wanted to attack her for all the ills of the political system over the last 30 years. She was quite specific. I think he was quite vague. He didn’t have a good night last night,” he said.
Podesta then discussed Hillary Clinton’s plan for the economy.
“Her plan is to invest in the middle class. [She has] pledged never to raise taxes on the middle class [and] to make the important investments that we need to create jobs, infrastructure and clean energy in high-tech manufacturing. To do it by going and asking the wealthy to pay their fair share, to close corporate loopholes to put that money to work for the American people and also to really focus on the family economics,” he said.
He added, “What he’s promising is what crashed the economy in 2008 – just going back, going back and I think people aren’t going to buy it.”
Podesta argued Clinton’s 65% tax rate is fair.
“She is looking to where people have made tremendous amounts of money. Tremendous wealth, saying they need to get back and make the right investments for the country…When they got to tax returns, what was his reaction to paying no taxes over many years? He seemed to admit to it last night although we haven’t seen the tax returns…Nothing for the troops, nothing for veterans, nothing for infrastructure, nothing to invest in the country that gave him the wealth that he has today. That’s not patriotic,” he charged.
When it comes to regulation, Podesta explained why Clinton’s plan will move the needle on economic growth.
“She specifically said that she wants to eliminate regulation for small business, make sure that small businesses have access to credit. I think she wants smart regulation that will take care of the needs of the American people whether that’s making sure that drugs are safe, that meat you’re buying at the grocery store is safe – Donald Trump says he wants to get rid of food inspection. My God, we are going to go back to the early 1900s or the early Twentieth Century?” he asked.
He also compared energy policies.
“With respect to clean energy, he wants to go back and restore the energy systems in the 1950s, I guess. What she wants to do is make sure that we are investing in clean renewable energy. That we are installing half a billion solar panels in her first term, that we are the clean energy super power of the Twenty-First Century – that’s where the future is, that’s where the jobs are, that’s where the growth is [and] that’s where the innovation is,” he said.