Transcript of Interview with Republican VP Nominee Sen. JD Vance
The following is a transcript of an interview with Republican vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, Republican of Ohio on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Sept. 15, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning and welcome to Face the Nation. We have a lot to get to this morning, and we begin with Republican vice-presidential nominee Senator JD Vance of Ohio. Welcome back to Face the Nation.
SEN. JD VANCE: Thanks Margaret. Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, we heard from Donald Trump this week that he wants to end all taxes on overtime pay for workers. How would this exemption work? Would this mean someone working a 40-hour work week would then not pay payroll taxes and not pay income taxes?
SEN. JD VANCE: Well, that’s exactly how he envisions it. Of course, we’re talking about hourly workers, and of course, when you work overtime in this country beyond 40 hours, you get time and a half, and the President saying, if you’re one of those select hard workers that’s really busting your rear end to try to make good in Kamala Harris’s economy, then you should get a tax cut. And I think it fits fully, Margaret, with his entire tax agenda, which is, we want American workers to get tax cuts under President Trump’s policies, and we want to actually penalize companies that are shipping jobs overseas through tariffs. And Kamala Harris’s tax policies are, in fact, the inversion of that. She wants to raise taxes on American workers and actually reward companies for shipping jobs overseas. So, it is a really stark contrast between the agenda of Donald Trump and of Kamala Harris.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Just to follow up on that, you said, penalize companies who ship jobs overseas. So your tariff policy would only apply to those companies who are shipping jobs overseas?
SEN. JD VANCE: Well, almost by definition, Margaret, when you apply a tariff, what you’re really doing is applying a penalty to somebody who manufactures or makes something overseas. You’re basically charging them a penalty to bring it back into our country. And so, what we’re trying to do here with these tariffs, is actually induce more people to make more things in the United States of America. One of the great tragedies of not just Kamala Harris’s leadership, but 40 years of American failure, is that we’ve lost our critical manufacturing industries to Mexico, to China. We started to undo that for four years under Donald Trump’s leadership, but we’ve got to do it for much longer and in a much more intense way, because, as we’ve learned just in the last few days, the world has gotten more dangerous. We can’t rely on other people to make the stuff we need.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It’s cheaper to manufacture overseas, which is why so many companies do it, but that- but that’s another issue. Just to follow up on the promise you’re making to working-class voters, you are now saying no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on income from Social Security. All of that…
In the interview, Senator JD Vance discusses President Trump’s proposal to end all taxes on overtime pay for workers. He explains that this would mean workers who exceed a 40-hour work week would not have to pay payroll taxes or income taxes on their overtime earnings. Vance emphasizes that this policy is aimed at rewarding hard-working Americans and contrasts it with Kamala Harris’s tax policies, which he claims would raise taxes on workers and incentivize companies to ship jobs overseas.
When asked about the tariff policy proposed by Trump, Vance explains that tariffs are essentially penalties imposed on companies that manufacture goods overseas and import them back into the United States. He argues that these tariffs are designed to encourage more manufacturing within the country and address the loss of critical industries to foreign countries like Mexico and China. Vance believes that the recent global events have highlighted the need for the U.S. to be self-reliant and not depend on other countries for essential goods.
The discussion touches on the economic factors influencing companies’ decisions to manufacture overseas, highlighting the cost-saving benefits that drive many companies to outsource production. Vance reiterates the importance of incentivizing domestic manufacturing and reducing reliance on foreign production to strengthen the U.S. economy and national security.
Vance further elaborates on Trump’s tax policies, which include exemptions for tips, overtime pay, and income from Social Security. These measures are intended to provide tax relief to working-class Americans and support their financial well-being. Vance’s statements underscore the Trump administration’s commitment to prioritizing the interests of American workers and promoting economic policies that benefit the domestic workforce.
Overall, the interview with Senator JD Vance provides insights into the Republican Party’s economic agenda and its focus on supporting working-class Americans through tax cuts and incentives for domestic manufacturing. Vance’s remarks highlight the contrasts between the Trump administration’s policies and those proposed by his opponents, emphasizing the importance of protecting American jobs and industries in an increasingly competitive global market.
