
Raise the Minimum Wage? GOP Candidates Say No
Minimum-wage workers hoping for a raise beware: If a Republican makes it to the Oval Office, you probably won't be seeing that pay boost anytime soon.
Fox Business set its economy-serious tone straight away at Tuesday night's Republican presidential debate by kicking off questioning with a timely topic, minimum wage. And just like in pretty much every other GOP square-off this debate season, the first question was directed at billionaire frontrunner Donald Trump.
"As we gather tonight in this very august theater, just outside and across the country, picketers are gathering as well. They're demanding an immediate hike in the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Just a few hours ago, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed doing the same for all state workers, the first state governors to do so. Mr. Trump, as the leading presidential candidate on this stage and one whose tax plan exempts couples making up to $50,000 from paying any taxes at all, are you sympathetic to the protestors' cause, since a $15 wage works out to about $31,000 a year?" asked moderator Neil Cavuto.
Trump's response: "I can't be, Neil, and the reason I can't is that we are a country that that is being beaten on every front economically, militarily, there is nothing that we do now to win. We don't win anymore."
He went on to plug his "tremendous" tax plan and added, regretfully, "I hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is. People have to go out, they have to work really hard, they have to get into that upper strata. But we cannot do this if we are going to compete with the rest of the world. We just can't do it."
Cavuto directed a similar question to Carson, pinpointing the neurosurgeon's suggestion that we should offer a lower or starter wage for young people. "Those people outside are asking for $15 and nothing less, where are you?" the moderator asked.
After mentioning his family's presence, specifically his three-year-old granddaughter, Carson gave his answer. "As far as minimum wage is concerned, people need to be educated on the minimum wage. Every time we raise the minimum wage, the number of jobless people increases. It's particularly a problem in the black community. Only 19.8% of black teenagers have a job or are looking for one. And that's because of those high wages. If you lower those wages, that comes down," he said.
He went on to recall his start in the working world and the low wages he received then. Given his penchant for stretching the truth, we would all be wise to do some fact checking.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio weighed in on his thoughts on the minimum wage as well.
"The problem is that today, people are not successful working as hard as ever because the economy is not providing jobs that pay enough. If I thought raising the minimum wage was the best way to help people increase their pay, I would be all for it, but it isn't. In the 21st century, it's a disaster," he said. "If you raise the minimum wage, you're going to make people more expensive than a machine."
He later added in a mini-zinger: "Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers."
The audience responded to all three candidates' comments with cheers.
At the first Republican presidential debate hosted by Fox News in August, Trump was famously the only candidate to raise his hand when asked by moderator Bret Baier if anyone was unwilling to pledge their support to the eventual GOP presidential nominee and not run as an independent.
The move was met with a mix of boos and cheers from the audience and some baffled looks from his fellow contenders. Trump's reaction was basically this: ¯\_()_/¯.
A month later, the billionaire businessman who prides himself on his negotiation skills signed a pledge put forth by the RNC promising not to make a third-party go at the White House -- though as many have noted, he is under no legal obligation to actually abide by the agreement.
CNN kicked off the second GOP with a two-minute video that resembled a movie trailer more than it did the start of a serious political discussion, and instead of asking a specific question, the network tasked each candidate with the mission of introducing him or herself.
Some of the highlights:
- Rubio: I'm also aware that California has a drought, and so that's why I made sure I brought my own water.
- Carson: And I just want to be -- make it clear that I'm grateful to be here with all of you again, and welcome the addition of Carly Fiorina, as well.
- Trump: I say not in a braggadocios way, I've made billions and billions of dollars dealing with people all over the world. . . .
The first question of the evening went to Fiorina, who had just been bumped up from the previous undercard debate. And not so surprisingly, the inquiry was Trump-centric.
"Would you feel comfortable with Donald Trump's finger on the nuclear codes?" asked moderator Jake Tapper.
"You know, I think Mr. Trump is a wonderful entertainer. He's been terrific at that business," Fiorina responded. "I also think that one of the benefits of a presidential campaign is the character and capability, judgment and temperament of every single one of us is revealed over time and under pressure. All of us will be revealed over time and under pressure. I look forward to a long race."
As for debate number three, CNBC asked the candidates to name their biggest weakness. Some of the responses were just as awkward as the question itself.
Fiorina said she doesn't smile enough, Bush said he can't fake anger, and Kasich, Rubio and Paul more or less pretended like they hadn't heard the question. Carson, oddly, admitted to having a hard time in seeing himself in the position of president, and Cruz confessed he's probably not the guy you want to have a beer with.
Trump, who has said in the past he has never asked for forgiveness, apparently isn't doling it out either. As for his biggest weakness, he said, "I trust people too much." He added, "And when they let me down, if they let me down, I never forgive. I find it very, very hard to forgive people that deceive me."
Something tells us has a similar stance on apologies.
"I think apologizing's a great thing, but you have to be wrong," he said in a September interview on
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
. "I will absolutely apologize, sometime in the hopefully distant future, if I'm ever wrong."
This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.








