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... During a town hall event at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, on Friday, Trump lauded the tariff-heavy economic approach of the late 19th century, particularly under McKinley, a Republican. The visit was part of Trump's 10th trip to the battleground state, highlighting the Great Lakes State's importance in his electoral strategy.
"In the 1890s, our country was probably the wealthiest it ever was because it was a system of tariffs," Trump, the GOP's presidential nominee, said. "We had a president, you know McKinley? Remember Mount McKinley? He was a very good businessman, and he took in billions of dollars at the time. We were a very wealthy country at the time." Mount McKinley, now officially known as Denali, was named after the 25th president.
Trump's remarks came as part of a broader discussion on manufacturing and job creation in the United States. The former president who has long been an advocate for protectionist trade policies has said that implementing tariffs would help bring manufacturing jobs back to America and boost the economy.
"We need a smart series of tariffs and taxes," Trump told the audience, many of whom were autoworkers concerned about job security in the face of industry changes and economic pressures.
However, Trump's praise for 19th-century economic policies quickly drew sharp rebuke from various corners of the internet, including historians and economic experts who challenged his characterization of McKinley's economy.
Former Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Michael Steele took to X, formerly Twitter, to express his dismay at Trump's comments and wrote: "I'm sitting here in an airport watching clips from Trump's recent rally. And I am wondering why do we continue to subject ourselves to such ignorant thinking?"
Steele, a Trump critic, also questioned why Americans "persist in devolving to Trump's retrogressive view of America and its citizens" and "make excuses about and for the lies and the liar."
Newsweek has contacted Trump's spokesperson and Steele's office via email on Saturday for comment. ...