Donald Trump outlined his plans for stopping companies from moving jobs out of the U.S. Saturday night: He would build consensus with Congress to impose taxes on corporations that offshored jobs.
“I would build consensus,” the Republican and former real estate mogul said during the South Carolina presidential debate. “But consensus means you got to work hard, you have to cajole, you have to get them into the Oval Office and get them all together — and you have to make deals.”
Trump explained that he would work with Congress to impose taxes on products built by companies that offshored their workers and business.
He referred specifically to one company, Indianapolis-based Carrier Corp., which announced to its workers last week that it was moving its factory to Monterey, Mexico. The announcement was captured on video portraying the workers reacting to the news that 1,400 jobs would be eliminated, and the video quickly drew widespread media coverage.
Saying that the planned layoffs were a “very sad situation,” Trump said, “I’m going to tell them right now: I’m going to get consensus from Congress and we’re going to tax you with those air conditioners. So stay where you are or build in the United States.”
Carrier told workers that layoffs in Indianapolis would begin in 2017 and continue through 2019. Another Indiana subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., United Technologies Electronic Controls, also announced it was moving 700 jobs to Mexico, eliciting anger from Indiana lawmakers and commentators online.
Trump has defied GOP orthodoxy with his calls for threatening companies that move operations or headquarters outside the country with higher taxes, as well as for tariffs on goods from other countries that he says are ripping off the U.S. in trade deals.
Nevertheless, he clarified Saturday night that he would not act unilaterally as president, but instead work with Republicans in Congress on imposing the taxes.
“I don’t like the idea of using executive orders like our president,” Trump said. “It is a disaster what he’s doing.”
