To the editor: I watched a video clip of former President Trump’s response to a question at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday about the child-care affordability problem. He couldn’t answer the question, and what came out of his mouth was gobbledygook. (“Trump says he’ll boost the economy by cutting federal spending and corporate taxes,” Sept. 5)
The next morning, I watched political pundits raging about the lack of reporting from all the major news outlets about his stupefying dodge of the issue. My hope that coverage in The Times would be an exception was dashed when I read the Associated Press article it published.
The only surprising thing about this interaction with Trump is that the Economic Club of New York would ask such a specific question about his plan to address child-care costs. There likely wasn’t a soul in that gathering, particularly Trump, who had any experience or understanding of the inability to afford child care.
Trump clearly couldn’t care less.
Barbara Jackson, Cerritos
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To the editor: The Associated Press journalists who wrote the article published in The Times about Trump’s appearance at the Economic Club of New York left out the most glaring part — his complete word salad of a response to a question from a panelist regarding child care in America.
Reading the article, one could assume that nothing out of the ordinary took place, when in fact the incoherence of this man continues to be stunning.
Why do the media still treat Trump as a normal candidate in spite of all we’ve endured with him for the past nine years? I’m losing my faith in the so-called Fourth Estate.
Mike Aguilar, Costa Mesa
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To the editor: Of course Americans pay for tariffs, as columnist Michael Hiltzik says.
In the 1980s, I was a buyer for a large department store chain and spent a month each year in Asia. At the time, the tariff for the merchandise I bought was 8% if the product could not be produced in the United States, either due to fabric availability or labor cost. If the product could be produced in the United States, the tariff was 16%, an incentive to encourage us to buy from U.S. manufacturers.
The tariff was part of the total cost of goods, including shipping from overseas. The buyer then calculated the retail price to be paid by the consumer based on a reasonable markup. The cost of tariffs were borne by the consumer who bought the goods.
Trump often makes assertions that are not founded in reality, even if his advisors tell him otherwise. He’s basically a salesman, and his product is himself.
Barbara Luther, Orange
