WASHINGTON (TNND) — Businessman and economic pundit Andrew Puzder on Wednesday slammed a new loan program introduced by Vice President Kamala Harris as nothing more than a shallow appeal to Black voters.
The Harris campaign announced Monday it would offer 1 million business loans of up to $20,000 each to Black entrepreneurs. The release also touted the Harris campaign’s support of legalizing marijuana and lowering rent prices.
Puzder told The National News Desk (TNND) the timing of the announcement indicates the campaign is more concerned with earning votes than pushing effective economic policy.
“They’re concerned about votes,” Puzder said of the Harris campaign. “It’s a political plan they could have implemented four years ago, three years ago, two years ago, or last week. They haven’t.”
This is to get votes,” he added. “Once you got the votes, I’m not sure it makes a whole lot of difference to her what happens with the plan.”
One major factor standing in the way of Harris’s proposal, Puzder said, is Congress. Should Republicans come out of Election Day with the majority in either the House or the Senate, this would likely present a challenge for Harris to pass such an initiative.
Puzder also noted the proposal could potentially infringe on the Constitution’s protections against discrimination based on race. This may elicit a response from the Supreme Court should Harris sign her plan into law as president, he argued.
READ MORE |Obama applauds Harris plan to give Black businesses 1 million forgivable loans
The vice president, Puzder said, should instead focus on policies that give all Americans a chance at success, not just voters of color.
“It isn’t just one race that’s suffering through this [economy],” Puzder said. “All Americans are suffering from this, and it would be nice if she came up with the plans that benefited all Americans instead of trying to just benefit a particular race, sex or special interest group that she’s concerned might not vote for her.”
I mean, it’s really pandering on her part,” he added. “And so, I doubt very seriously that would ever get done.”
The Harris campaign did not respond when asked by TNND to address Puzder’s remarks via email Wednesday.
Eric Trump also addressed Harris’s economic plans in a conversation with TNND this week. He explained the proposal is likely a response to the vice president’s floundering popularity with Black voters. A New York Times/Siena College poll released last week revealed 15% of likely Black voters plan to vote for former President Donald Trump in November,compared to 9% in 2020.
“We’ve seen an uptick when it comes to African American support by the biggest numbers I think any Republican has ever seen, by a lot,” Eric Trump told TNND.
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