Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled another plank of his populist economic platform, promising to abolish the tax on overtime pay.
This comes after his promises to end taxes on tips and Social Security benefits for seniors, ideas that are wildly popular but cost nothing and will likely increase the national debt without tax increases in other areas.
He made his pledge during a raucous rally in Tucson, Arizona, where he said it was time for working men and women to “take a break.”
“I’m also announcing that as part of our additional tax cuts, we will eliminate all overtime taxes,” he said.
“You know what that means? I think it gives people more incentive to work. It gives companies a lot more… it’s a lot easier to get people.”
Donald Trump delivered a one-hour, 14-minute speech in Tucson, Arizona, on Thursday, where he announced a plan to eliminate the overtime tax, then sent the crowd wild by dancing to the Village People’s “YMCA.”
The promise sent the crowd into a frenzy in a state that has seen one of the highest inflation rates in the country over the past four years.
Both Trump and Kamala Harris have been pursuing unorthodox ideas to ease the cost of living crisis.
The Democratic candidate has suggested a form of central price control to prevent businesses from taking advantage of others and has copied Trump’s promise to protect tip income.
On Thursday afternoon, Trump said his new policy would apply to earnings after 40 hours a week.
“So there’s no social security tax for our elderly, and the latter is no tax at all… you work very hard, there’s no overtime tax, and that’s very good for the employees,” he said.
Both candidates targeted battleground states as they looked to capitalize on Tuesday’s debate.
Harris was in North Carolina, with campaign rallies in Charlotte and Greensboro, for a chance to further energize her supporters after a strong showing when she left Trump offside and on the defensive in their first face-to-face meeting.
His team has been studying the 90-minute debate for clips that could be turned into TV ads.
Trump, meanwhile, was looking to stabilize his campaign, which has been in flux since Harris unexpectedly entered the race in July.
The event was billed as a speech to address the crippling prices facing people in Arizona.
After marking the anniversary of 9/11 on Wednesday, Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail on Thursday, holding a rally in Tucson, Arizona, a must-win state.
He was also trying to recover from Tuesday’s debate. A series of early polls suggested viewers thought his opponent had performed better that night.
Trump took issue with criticism that he appeared angry.
“People were saying I was angry about the debate, angry,” he told the raucous crowd at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall.
“I was angry, and yes, I am angry that she allowed 21 million illegal immigrants to invade our communities. Many of them are criminals.”
Trump was clearly taken aback by Harris’s attacks on Tuesday, and was forced to repeat a right-wing online rumor that illegal immigrants had been stealing and eating pets.
On Thursday, he returned to the campaign trail, trying to get back on track in a key state.
He did so in typical Trump style, unapologetic for appearing angry and repeating the claim about immigrants and cats and dogs.
He said calls to 911 in Springfield, Ohio, revealed the migrants were walking away with geese.
“The migrants are leaving with the city’s geese. They’ve taken them away,” he said. “You know where the geese are in the park, on the lake, and they’re even leaving with their pets.”
‘They kidnapped my dog’