Wednesday at CNBC’s Republican presidential debate, CNBC chief Washington correspondent John Harwood asked Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, “Is this a comic book version of the president?”
Harwood said, “Mr. Trump, you have done very well in this campaign so far by promising to build another wall and make another country pay for it, send 11 million people out of the country, cut taxes $10 trillion without increasing the deficit and make Americans better off because your greatness will replace the stupidity and incompetence of others, let’s be honest. Is this a comic book version of the president?”
Trump shot back, “No, it’s not a comic book version. And by the way I don’t like the way you phrased the question. We’re bringing money back in, corporate inversions. We have $2.5 trillion outside of the United States, as far as the wall is concerned. We’ll build the wall, create a border, well, let people in, they will come in legally. It something that can be done. And I get questioned about it. They built the great wall of China, that is 13,000 miles. Here we actually need a thousand because we have natural barriers. We need a wall. We’ll have a big fat beautiful door right in the middle of the wall. We’ll have people come in legally, and Mexico will pay for the wall — I love the Mexican people. I respect the Mexican leaders but the leaders are much sharper, smarter and more cunning than our leaders. And just to finish, people say oh, how will you make Mexico to pay? A politician cannot get them to pay. I can. We lose, we have a trade imbalance …excuse me …$50 billion”
Harwood went to Trump’s tax plan saying, “You say it would not increase the deficit because you cut taxes $10 trillion — the economy would take off like a rocket ship. I talked to economic advisers who have served presidents of both parties. They say you have a chance of cutting taxes that much without increasing a deficit as you would of flying away from that podium by flapping your arms.”
Trump continued, “Then you have to get rid of Larry Kudlow, who is a great guy, who says I love Trump’s tax plan.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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