DNC Chair Tom Perez had a tough go of it during a Thursday appearance on CNBC to talk about GOP-led tax reform.

WATCH:

Perez tried to bash the tax reform plan–which would slash corporate rates, cut the number of tax brackets, and eliminate the estate tax–with some politically-minded Democratic talking points.

“I don’t have a PhD in labor economics but I have a PhD in Buffalo, that’s where I grew up,” Perez said. “And the thing that people from Buffalo and places like Buffalo say is, ‘you told me this before…you told me back in the Reagan era that these tax cuts are gonna benefit everyone, they’re gonna trickle down.'”

“Come on, Tom!” CNBC’s Steve Leisman jumped in. “Tom, this is CNBC Tom. Get off the talking points!”

“Talk the economics, Tom,” Leisman asserted.

Perez asserted that the estate tax only benefits “the one percent,” to which Leisman replied, “There’s a legitimate debate to be had here!”

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