A segment of MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle’s recent interview with Vice President Kamala Harris that did not receive much attention involved Harris’s difficulty in addressing a question regarding the funding of expanded child tax credits and housing subsidies.
Political analysts observed that Harris appeared to rely on rehearsed talking points when Ruhle inquired about her plans to finance the expanded credits and the $25,000 initial assistance for first-time homebuyers, ultimately failing to provide a direct answer to the question.
“If you can’t raise corporate taxes, or if GOP takes control of the Senate, where do you get the money to do that? Do you still go forward with those plans and borrow?” Ruhle asked.
“Well,” Harris began before a brief pause. “…[B]ut we’re gonna have to raise corporate taxes.”
Continuing, Harris stammered, “And we’re gonna have to raise…“We’re gonna have to make sure that the biggest corporations and billionaires pay their fair share. That’s just it. It’s about paying their fair share.”
During the Trump administration, corporate taxes experienced a significant reduction following the passage of the largest tax reform legislation in decades by the GOP-controlled Congress. The corporate tax rate was lowered from 35 percent to 21 percent, and a substantial number of American taxpayers also received reductions in their income taxes. A 2021 analysis indicated that the majority of Americans benefited from these tax cuts, with a predominant share being middle- and working-class individuals.
Watch:
NEW: Kamala Harris gets stumped during her first solo sit-down interview since becoming the Democratic nominee.
Stephanie Ruhle: "If you can't raise corporate taxes or if GOP takes control of the Senate, where do you get the money to do that?"
Harris: "Well, but we're gonna… pic.twitter.com/lp951n3etd
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 25, 2024
