Donald Trump is doubling down on his controversial statement during the fourth Republican debate Tuesday that wages in the U.S. are “too high.”
The billionaire GOP candidate told moderators Tuesday he would not raise the federal minimum wage if elected president because doing so would negatively impact America’s position as a competitive global economy.
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“Taxes [are] too high, wages too high, we’re not going to be able to compete against the world. I hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is,” Trump told Fox Business Network’s Neil Cavuto.
On Thursday, Fox News’ Elisabeth Hasselbeck asked Trump, “How do you avoid someone morphing you into a heartless CEO jerk when [you’re] talking about wages having to stay the same?”
“Let me just explain,” Trump told Hasselbeck and her co-hosts. “They were talking about increasing the minimum wage. And whether it’s taxes or minimum wages, if they’re too high, we’re not going to be able to compete with other countries.”
“That’s what I’m referring to, and anybody should be able to see that. It was very clear,” he added.
Trump, who called into the program Thursday morning, went on to confront Hasselbeck about the text placed at the bottom of the TV screen during his interview. As the GOP candidate spoke about minimum wage, a chyron read: “TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN.”
“Interestingly, this is the first time I’ve even heard — you put a headline about ‘Trump doubles down,'” he said.
“It’s the first time I’ve even heard about it. I just called in and I’m hearing about it now for the first time, so obviously it can’t be much of a story,” Trump added, referring to the controversy his remarks created.
Trump is third in the Washington Examiner’s presidential power rankings. He is set to arrive in Fort Dodge, Iowa Thursday evening for a campaign rally in the earliest voting state.
