Donald Trump’s Aides Admit Executive Orders Will Do Little To Help The Economy, Report Says
A Saturday report from The New York Times claimed that Donald Trump’s aides privately admitted that his recent executive orders aimed at providing relief amid the coronavirus pandemic are unlikely to boost the economy significantly.
“Even conservative groups have warned that suspending payroll tax collections is unlikely to translate into more money for workers,” the report read.
Notably, Trump’s own aides allegedly privately admitted that the actions will not provide aide to low- and middle-income workers, small businesses, or local and state governments. Although the executive actions could provide some relief for student loan borrowers and renters, the New York Times suggested the efforts are not likely to put a significant amount of cash into the hands of Americans who need it the most.
In addition, the piece, which claims that lawyers will immediately benefit from the orders, said that the president’s executive actions will likely be challenged in court.
In a Sunday interview that will air on Full Court Press With Greta Van Susteren, Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, addressed many of the downsides of executive orders explored in the recent report.
“The downside of executive orders is you can’t address some of the small business incidents that are there. You can’t necessarily get direct payments, because it has to do with appropriations. That’s something that the president doesn’t have the ability to do. So, you miss on those two key areas. You miss on money for schools. You miss on any funding for state and local revenue needs that may be out there.”
As The Inquisitr reported, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, said that the president’s recent executive orders were nothing more than a stunt designed to distract from the real issues that Congress should be working to address to help Americans struggling amid the pandemic.
Per CBS News, the executive orders could face legal challenges if passed. Although Trump has expressed confidence that his orders would pass, despite a lack of approval from Congress, others suggest they could be tested in court. If the president’s orders are signed into law, Americans out of work due to COVID-19 would receive an extra $400 in unemployment benefits, and payroll taxes would be deferred for those earning less than $100,000 year.
Other concerns around the orders include fears that Trump is attempting to pave the way to cutting Social Security benefits. Despite these worries, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said that the cuts would ultimately be forgiven.
