Trump’s $5,000 pledge is a ‘ridiculous’ bid to avoid midterm defeat: Economist
Economist and Author Steve Keen says President Trump’s ridiculous pledge to pay $ 5,000 to every American adult is a desperate attempt to avoid the midterm vote going against him.
He dismissed Trump’s pledge as “nonsense,” arguing that the proposal is unlikely to be implemented and may be an attempt to prevent Republicans from suffering a defeat in the midterm elections.
Keen said Trump had a long record of failing to fulfill his promises and suggested that the proposal should therefore not be taken at face value.
He also raised questions about the legality of attempting to use direct payments to influence voters, noting that US election laws prohibit efforts to bribe voters.
The economist also pointed to the prolonged war as a factor that could further undermine Trump’s political position. He argued that Trump had likely expected the conflict to end much sooner and had not anticipated that it would still be ongoing six months later.
According to Keen, the economic consequences of the war could also create additional problems for the administration.
Higher oil prices, he said, would feed into production costs across the economy because oil is a key input in the production of a wide range of goods and services, potentially creating additional inflationary pressure.
Higher fuel prices would also directly affect American consumers, Keen argued, particularly given the country's heavy reliance on automobiles.
He said the combination of rising fuel costs and broader inflation could ultimately work against Trump politically.
Keen described the $5,000 payment proposal as a “ridiculous pledge” and suggested that it could represent a desperate attempt by Trump to prevent the midterm vote from turning against him.
At the same time, Keen said there was one aspect of the proposal that he viewed positively. In his assessment, the fact that Trump was discussing measures aimed at winning voters could indicate that he intends to proceed with the midterm elections rather than attempt to prevent them from taking place.
Keen said he had previously considered the possibility that Trump might seek to delay or prevent the election by citing national security concerns as a justification for remaining in power. The latest pledge, he argued, instead suggests that Trump may allow the election to go ahead and then face the outcome at the ballot box.
Washington’s Iran policy driving up oil prices at world’s expense: Analyst
News Review: Iran says IAEA adopted latest resolution under US, European pressure
'IAEA designed to maintain US & Israel nuclear-weapon monopoly in world'
Envoy: UN meeting on Iran nuclear file a procedural abuse
Leaked chemical dossier reveals Israel's role in Sudan's civil war: Report
VIDEO | News Review: US admission on effective Iran strikes
Vance sought 'blunt' truth about war on Iran amid false picture fed to Trump: Report
Trump says he doesn't regret terrorist war on Iran as blowback widens
NATO says Strait of Hormuz demining is outside its mandate
CIA torture site in Romania exposed after years of denial by Washington, Bucharest: Report
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
