Trump tells US to copy Britain and ‘take back control’
Republican candidate hails Brexit vote and promises to shut the door on America’s trade deals
DONALD TRUMP called for America to follow Britain’s lead in “taking back control” of its economy yesterday, in a major policy address on trade.
In a staunch argument against globalisation, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate painted Hillary Clinton, his likely Democratic opponent, as the champion of policies that have pushed American jobs overseas.
“Our friends in Britain recently voted to take back control of their economy and borders,” he said. “Now it’s time for the American people to take back their future.”
Gloating that he was “on the right side” of Brexit, Mr Trump, who had previously said he wanted Britain to leave the European Union because it would help business at his golf courses in Scotland, said his position showed he was “with the people”.
The claims came as President Barack Obama urged against “hysteria” in the face of turbulent economic markets in the wake of the UK referendum.
He said the Leave vote represented only a “pause” on the “project of full European integration” and warned against predictions of a wider dissolution of trans-Atlantic partnerships.
Mr Trump has long been an outspoken opponent of liberalised trade policies, which has helped to propel his extraordinary political rise as it reflects the anger of American blue-collar workers who have seen manufacturing jobs go overseas.
Speaking from a steel factory in Pennsylvania, in America’s battered industrial heartland, Mr Trump said: “Globalisation has made the financial elite very, very wealthy” – including Mrs Clinton among its members.
“Our politicians watched from the sidelines as jobs vanished and communities plunged into unemployment.”
With a Trump presidency, he said “the era of economic dependence will finally be over”.
He vowed to repeal the “disaster” of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, the two top US trade partners, which Mr Trump reminded his audience, was signed by Bill Clinton during his presidency. He spoke out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a giant trade deal between the US and Asian countries, that was initially supported by Mrs Clinton.
Repeating one his most consistent policies, Mr Trump promised higher tariffs on importing foreign goods. While the rhetoric is popular, economists have warned that such policies could start a trade war that would result in greater losses for the US.
The Trump campaign hopes this speech will re-energise his support after a month characterised by controversies, sliding poll numbers, and woe- ful fundraising figures. Mr Trump’s campaign operation pales in size and structure to that of Mrs Clinton.
His campaign is seeking to re-tool its operation, but in a sign of continuing confusion, spokesmen for the Trump campaign contradicted each other this week on whether the mogul was keeping to his promise to temporarily “ban” all Muslims from entering the country.
In an apparent attempt to soften the position, Katrina Pierson, national spokesman for his campaign, said he never mentioned banning all Muslims. But a day later the Trump campaign said the policy remained unchanged.