Actress Kimberlin Brown delivered an impassioned speech at the Republican National Convention in support of the party’s presidential nominee Donald Trump, in which she made the case that the billionaire real estate mogul is best positioned to create jobs and reinvigorate the American economy, particularly for female business owners.
The 55-year-old Young and the Restless star — who told convention attendees that she also owns a design business and is an avocado farmer in California — said that like many women across America, she has “a lot of responsibilities.”
“Because we women have many roles in our lives, I’m offended when the media and the Democrats typecast us as single-issue voters,” Brown said. “We take care of our families, work inside and outside the home, pay the bills, manage costs at home, take care of our parents, all focused on one thing: securing the future for our families.”
“I’m a member of California’s Businesswomen for Trump,” the actress continued. “We are comprised of farmers, doctors, small business owners, attorneys and women in just about every field, profession, race and ethnicity. We’re concerned about out of control, unreasonable government regulations that needlessly add costs to doing business and tie us all up in red tape. And don’t get me started about the bewildering tax code and high taxes to boot.”
Brown went on to relate a story about how employees at her small business were being forced to purchase pricey insurance plans as part of the Affordable Care Act’s small business mandate.
“One good thing: it’s been a wake-up call to all of our young employees and they are all voting Republican this year,” Brown said.
She continued:
“One-third of all small businesses are owned by women. And to the 9.4 million women business owners who employ about 8 million workers — a value of about $1.5 trillion to our economy — I urge you to think about how important this election is for your future. Who do you think better understands your challenges, and will stand with you fighting for a better economy and more opportunities? A career Washington insider who only knows how to use your tax dollars for more government jobs? Or a successful businessman who knows how to make a payroll, who understands the special challenges women business owners face, such as gaining access to needed capital, and who has an admirable record of hiring and promoting women in his businesses?
Brown went on to say that she has seen first-hand that impact of high taxes on businesses in the country, and, as an actress, has seen television and film productions move out of the country, leading to the loss of behind-the-scenes jobs for cameramen, sound technicians and boom operators.
“[Donald Trump] will make trade deals that benefit working men and women and their families right here in America,” she said.
The actress and small business owner ended her ten-minute speech with a blistering attack on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
“There’s going to be a time, and I hope soon, for a woman president,” Brown went on. “And we have so many outstanding women in Congress and in our state and local governments who are ready for the job now, or in the very near future. But let’s be clear: the Democrats offer up a woman who, when she had a chance to stand up for women, did not do so. Instead, she attacked women, denigrated them, called them liars. And I personally know victims, and they find Hillary’s actions and remarks repulsive. Her comments are comments of convenience only.
“If we are to prosper as a nation, if we are going to grow the economy and create jobs, we need a leader who will go to Washington and shake things up. A president who will bring common-sense regulations and eliminate unnecessary ones, who will fix our tax system, who will start us on the path to rebuild our infrastructure. We need someone who knows how to build things, who knows how to create jobs and who knows how to negotiate. He’s going to tackle problems head-on, ladies and gentlemen, so we can have true progress.”
Watch Brown’s complete RNC speech above.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum
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