(Matt Lamb, Headline USA) Former President Donald Trump pledged, if re-elected, to cut energy costs “50%” during a recent interview with financial expert Dave Ramsey that was released on Wednesday.
Ramsey, one of the most popular radio hosts in the country, said he had offered to talk with Vice President Kamala Harris, as well, and he has avoided tipping his political hand—despite having an economic outlook that many would consider to be fiscally conservative.
“The strokes that you make to change the economy, when you’re elected, are a big deal,” he told Trump.
Referencing high inflation, he then asked the GOP leader, “What’s the first things you’re going to do?”
Trump said people were getting “wiped out” by the high cost of living during the Biden presidency, driven largely by reckless spending, immigration and energy policies.
“If you get the energy down, other things are going to follow,” Trump said.
“… We are going to drill at a level that you haven’t seen since, let’s say four or five years ago,” he added, explaining how he would get the costs down quickly. “… We’re going to drill, baby, drill.”
Trump also said interest rates needed to drop—a move that the Federal Reserve undertook last month after steadily raising them to curb Biden’s nearly double-digit inflation.
To further stimulate economic growth and investment domestically, Trump said he plans to cut corporate taxes even beyond the reductions in his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—but only for companies who produce goods in the United States.
Corporate taxes will drop to 15%, Trump said, “but you have to manufacture your product here.”
He also reiterated his support for tariffs as a way to make the country more competitive.
Trump added that he planned to pursue “cost cutting” and mentioned a proposal to appoint Tesla CEO Elon Musk to oversee a commission investigating government efficiency.
The former Republican president also said he would protect Social Security.
He predicted the economy would experience a “1929 Depression” if Harris were to win in November.
Americans deserve to know what their presidential candidates will do about real issues that matter to real people. So, we reached out to both candidates to give them the opportunity to sit down and share their ideas. I took everyday Americans’ questions about the economy to… pic.twitter.com/axSDNJqFbu
— Dave Ramsey (@DaveRamsey) October 2, 2024
The country will go “bust” if Harris wins, Trump said. He criticized unchecked mass migration that has occurred under the vice president’s watch.
Ramsey, who runs a successful financial advice company, asked Trump for his guidance about hiring. Trump said he prefers to promote from within the company.
On a more personal level, the former president said he does not drink alcohol, sharing how his brother Fred struggled with substance abuse.
“I tell people for their children, no drugs, no alcohol, and no cigarettes,” Trump said.
