Harris vows minimum wage hike as Trump eyes tax overhaul
The Democratic candidate for president stated on Monday that raising the minimum wage is necessary after her rival avoided answering this question. Meanwhile, Trump suggested that he might abolish the income tax, citing a situation from the 19th century.
- The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which means a person working full time will earn $15,000 a year, which is a poverty wage - Harris said during a short press meeting in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan.
Harris promises to raise the minimum wage
- I absolutely believe that we must raise the minimum wage - she added, without specifying the level to which, in her opinion, the minimum wage should be raised.
The federal minimum wage has remained at the same level of $7.25 per hour for 15 years. Democrats initially intended to include a wage increase in the Inflation Reduction Act bill. This was supposed to fulfil Joe Biden's election promise, but it was ultimately abandoned due to opposition from Republicans and some moderate Democrats. However, in 2024, half of the 50 states raised their state minimum wages. In three of them, California, New York, and Washington, it rose to $16 per hour.
Harris advocated for raising the wage a day after her Republican rival Donald Trump avoided answering the same question during a visit to a McDonald's restaurant, where he fried chips for 15 minutes.
Trump suggests abolishing income tax
The Republican candidate suggested, however, that he might abolish the federal income tax, replacing it with customs revenues. During a visit to a barber shop in the Bronx, New York, he stated that abolishing the main source of budget revenue is possible because the history of the United States in the 19th century showed it, when America was a "smart country" and supposedly relatively wealthier than it is now.
- We only had customs then. We didn't have an income tax - he recalled. However, as noted by the "Wall Street Journal" and other media, replacing tax revenues with customs duties is basically impossible.
Earlier in the campaign, Trump promised to abolish the requirement to pay taxes on tips, as well as on social security benefits. The media also reported that Trump's team is considering exempting police officers, firefighters, and other uniformed services from taxes.
