Donald Trump Slams CEO Pay. A Traitor to His Class?
Is presidential hopeful Donald Trump a traitor to his class?
That question comes up because on Sunday, Mr. Trump took a shot at CEOs, saying on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that chief executive pay in America is so high that it is “a total and complete joke.”
In the free enterprise system, company boards of directors should curtail excessive payouts, but they don’t, Trump added. That’s because CEOs maneuver their cronies onto boards and quid pro quos ensue.
“That’s the system that we have, and it’s a shame and disgraceful,” said Trump.
Billionaire Trump has benefited quite handsomely from aspects of the US economic system, of course. All those CEOs and hedge-fund managers and other members of the 0.1 percent are his peers. (He might not agree with that. He’d probably say most of those folks are relatively poor, compared with himself and his own riches.)
But that hasn’t stopped him from striking a populist tone on some economic issues. He’s talked about raising taxes on top earners. In particular, he’s scoffed at the carried-interest exemption, which allows some hedge-fund managers and other big earners to pay a lower, capital-gains rate on their annual income.
Read the article “Donald Trump Slams CEO Pay. A Traitor to His Class?” on csmonitor.com.