American Bridge spokeswoman Sabrina Singh released the following statement on Donald Trump’s Women Empowerment Panel:
“Donald Trump is a con artist. Posing for photos can’t cover up his opposition to equal pay or his long standing opposition to economic policies like real paid leave and child care that would benefit American women and families. He famously claimed on Howard Stern that he ‘can’t say that’ he treats women with respect. Well, neither can we.”
Background:
Trump “I Can’t Say That” He Treats Women With Respect Howard Stern: You once said that the best way to treat a woman is to treat her like…duty. Trump: No, I never said that. … It was attributed to me.’ […]Stern: So you treat women with respect.’ Trump: “I can’t say that either. Somewhere in between, I treat women with great respect.” [Howard Stern Interview with Donald Trump, 1993]
Trump: Pregnant Women Are “An Inconvenience For A Person That Is Running A Business.” “Pregnancy is never – it’s a wonderful thing for the woman, it’s a wonderful thing for the husband, it’s certainly an inconvenience for a business. Whether people want to say that or not, the fact is that it is an inconvenience for a person that is running a business.” [“Dateline NBC,” NBC, 10/3/04]
Trump Said That Perhaps His Employees “Should” Feel Pressured To Return To Work Quickly After Giving Birth. “Reporter: Do you think [Carolyn Kepcher] felt pressure to come back after three weeks? Donald Trump: I don’t think so. I think she loves her job. Reporter: She wouldn’t have felt a need to do that because you might have replaced her otherwise? Trump: No, although it’s an interesting premise. Maybe she should feel that way a little bit, but the fact is that would not have happened.” [“Dateline NBC,” NBC, 10/3/04]
Trump: “Putting A Wife To Work Is A Very Dangerous Thing.” “I think that putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing. There was a great softness to Ivana, and she still has that softness, but during this period of time, she became an executive, not a wife.” [“Primetime Live,” ABC, 3/10/94]
Trump: “If You Start To Say Everybody Gets Equal Pay, You Start To Get Away From The Whole American Dream.” “Here’s the problem. If you start getting involved with government on this one gets this pay or this one gets that pay, then you say where does it all stop? Because you could have a woman that’s much better than a man and you could have a woman that’s not as good as a man. If you start to say everybody gets equal pay, you start to get away from the whole American Dream and you get away from capitalism in a sense.” [Donald Trump, WHO Town Hall, Newton, IA, 11/19/15]
Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Proposal For A Tax Deduction For Child Care “Would Seem To Favor Higher-Income Families.” According to Wall Street Journal, “Mr. Trump’s proposal for a tax deduction would seem to favor higher-income families. Many low-wage workers don’t pay federal taxes, in part because they benefit from other policies aimed at helping working parents, including the child- and dependent-care tax credit and the earned-income tax credit. Already, federal tax law allows a filer to receive a credit to help offset up to $3,000 in qualified child-care costs, and up to $6,000 for joint filers. As a credit, parents would receive a tax refund if the amount of the credit exceeds the amount owed in taxes.” [Wall Street Journal, 8/8/16]
Washington Post: Trump’s Proposal For Paid Maternity Included Wording That Made Couples Only Eligible For Benefits If Their Marriage Was “Recognized Under State Law.” According to Washington Post, “Donald Trump’s new paid maternity leave proposal is vague about who would be eligible, labor policy experts say, and includes a provision that possibly could exclude one of the country’s most economically vulnerable groups: single mothers. A document on the Trump campaign’s website states same-sex couples would receive the six weeks of paid leave under the policy only if their marriage is ‘recognized under state law,’ language that could effectively bar any unmarried parent.” [Washington Post, 9/20/16]
Published: Mar 29, 2017 | Last Modified: Aug 29, 2022