Donald Trump’s top economic adviser seems to be having a hard time explaining the specific details behind the president’s latest executive orders, which were aimed at providing coronavirus relief measures after negotiations in Washington stopped.
The executive orders would cut additional unemployment benefits provided during the $ 600 to $ 400 pandemic, and offer a payroll tax holiday for millions of Americans, which Mr. Trump said he would make permanent if in November re-elected.
But none of that was entirely clear when Larry Kudlow, the director of the White House of the National Economic Council, spoke to CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday morning.
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Mr. Kudlow claimed that the president’s order on unemployment benefits would actually provide $ 800 to Americans who lost their jobs because of the pandemic – even if Mr Trump’s measures offered just half that amount.
Asked when Americans would receive as much as $ 1,200 under the new measures, he was asked when the first relief checks would be received, saying: ‘I do not want to be so specific if you stick to me, as you should, but I think it’s going to take a couple of weeks, and I think it’s going to be around $ 1,200 a person – that’s a huge pay rise. ”
The economic adviser’s response did not provide a specific timeline, or included the fact that the federal government will only pay $ 400, while the states will have to pay 25 percent. Moreover, it is not possible for someone with unemployment benefits to earn a “wage increase” because they are not at the beginning and have no salary.
“You keep saying $ 1,200 per person, are you talking about in addition to the unemployment they’re already getting?” Ms Bash asked Mr Kudlow.
“No, that’s the reward – no, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. The $ 1,200 will come from the tax bill proposal, on top of that – yes, I’m sorry,” Mr Kudlow replied.
He then reiterated that unemployment benefits would be “$ 800 dollars”, making the anchor appear confused.
“$ 800 or $ 400?” she asked.
“No, it has to be four – it has to be $ 800,” Kudlow said. “If the states step up, we are ready to agree, that should come from $ 400 federal, $ 400 states.”
Ms Bash then stepped over from the issue and told Mr Kudlow: “Okay, we’m going through, because I think this is not what the President said and it’s a little confusing, and I think the fact that it does not all that is known is not very telling. ”
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