"Confidence in our country is back," Trump says as he promotes tax reform plan
President Trump pitched his tax plan Wednesday to truckers just outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as his administration tries to persuade Congress to pass legislation.
"The confidence in our country is back, like it hasn't been in many, many years," Mr. Trump said as a truck with a "Truckers for Tax Reform" sign was seen behind him.
But Mr. Trump said the country cannot get on the track it needs to be on without reforming the complicated tax code, launching into his plan to simplify the number of tax brackets and slash taxes on businesses. The president emphasized that his plan is pro-family, pro-business and pro-growth.
"And that's why I'm here with you, right now, tonight, thank you. And we're going to fight and we're going to get those Republicans and maybe a few of those Democrats ..." Mr. Trump said.
Although Mr. Trump said he was addressing his plan to truck drivers, many of the tax plan goals he mentioned only apply to company owners and the most wealthy members of society. Mr. Trump touted his plan to repeal the estate or "death" tax, which only applies to a few hundred of the wealthiest families in the country. The average tractor-trailer driver earned $41,340 in 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Mr. Trump promised to cut the corporate tax rate so that it makes the U.S. more competitive with other nations, pledging to bring jobs back to the U.S. and keep them there.
"The more than 30 million Americans who have small businesses will see -- listen to this -- a 40 percent cut in their marginal tax rate," he said. "... I wouldn't want to be a politician against that. They're going to have a long, hard winter."
The president said his tax plan will give the average American family the equivalent of a $4,000 pay raise, although a senior administration official earlier could not explain the math behind that number. Last month, top White House economic adviser Gary Cohn said a family earning $100,000 -- well above the average household income -- could see a tax break of about $1,000.
Still, Mr. Trump emphasized that his plan will benefit the lives of his audience members.
"No one knows America better than America's truckers," Mr. Trump said.