Vice President Joe Biden attacked Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a speech Wednesday in Ohio for opposing the minimum wage — even though he’s actually open to it.
Biden made the case that too many workers are not getting adequate wages. His primary focus was an update to federal regulations aimed at expanding overtime to more salaried workers but also spoke in support of raising the minimum wage. He attacked Trump for supposedly opposing the policy.
“All this stuff coming from Trump, you know, American workers are getting paid too much?” Biden told a crowd in Columbus. “Where the hell does he live? Well, I know where he lives. But I’m serious, think about it. They’re three times as productive as they are in Asia, we’re in a situation where we have the greatest research universities in the world.”
Trump said Nov. 10 during a primary debate that he believes the minimum wage and taxes are too high. His views, however, have since shifted in support. He tweeted Dec. 28 that wages were too low before eventually saying May 8 the federal government should leave the minimum wage up to the states. He has expressed concern for those earning low-wages throughout the country.
Trump believes states are best equipped to judge an appropriate wage floor for their residents. States have different cost of living levels making the impact of an increased minimum wage different throughout the country. He also noted the competition between states would help yield the best results.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also struggled to maintain a consistent view on the minimum wage. She originally said the federal minimum wage should not exceed $12 an hour, but later said she meant it as a step toward eventually reaching $15 an hour. Nevertheless her campaign was quick to denounce Trump for his views that it should be left to the states.
Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, in contrasts, has supported the $15 minimum wage throughout the election. Supporters of the minimum wage increase argue it could help lift people out of poverty, but critics warn it could actually hurt the very people it’s trying to help by forcing employers to cutback on their workforce or raise prices to overcome the added cost of labor.
The White House and Trump did not respond to requests for comment by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
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