Bernie Sanders: Trump’s Payroll Tax Cut Idea is “Pathetic”

The US had braced itself to see more bad unemployment numbers come out this week. They were even worse than originally thought and the total number of unemployed Americans now stands at over 30 million.

There have been numerous calls for another stimulus payment, but as of now, the President has rejected those calls. Instead, Trump has touted a payroll tax cut that would have no benefit for Americans currently without a job.

During Wednesday’s press briefing, Trump said, “Well, I like the idea of payroll tax cuts. I’ve liked that from the beginning. That was a thing that I really would love to see happen. A lot of economists would agree with me. A lot of people agree with me. And I think frankly it’s simple, it’s not the big distribution, and it would really be an incentive for people to come back to work and for employers to hire.”

Bernie Sanders was less than impressed by the President’s plan. “Pathetic, he tweeted. “A payroll tax cut does nothing for the 26 million who lost their jobs. With rent due on May 1, we need to provide $2,000 a month to everyone until this crisis is over. If we can bail out corporations, we can make sure everyone has enough to pay for basic necessities.”

Pathetic. A payroll tax cut does nothing for the 26 million who lost their jobs. With rent due on May 1, we need to provide $2,000 a month to everyone until this crisis is over. If we can bail out corporations, we can make sure everyone has enough to pay for basic necessities. https://t.co/T9cdE92e54 — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) April 28, 2020

Another former Democratic Presidential hopeful, Cory Booker, also poked holes in Trump’s plan. The New Jersey senator took to Twitter, writing, “Payroll tax cuts don’t help people who are unemployed. Additional stimulus payments are the best way to get cash directly into the hands of those who need it.”