Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio
GOP used to be synonymous with unfettered free markets, but some of President Trump’s recent decisions – like the government taking a 10% stake in computer chip company Intel – have some Republicans saying it's a step towards socialism. (Photo Credit: AP NEWS - altered)
The GOP used to be synonymous with unfettered free markets, but some of President Trump’s recent decisions have some fellow Republicans raising the specter of socialism.
Senator Rand Paul called Trump’s decision for the government to take a 10% stake in Intel a step toward socialism, while Democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders praised the plan. Add in Trump’s tariffs, the “Golden Share” in Nippon’s U.S. Steel deal, and other examples of government interference in private companies, and traditional free-market conservatives are growing uneasy.
While most people agree this isn’t socialism in the classic sense, Trumponomics is starting to look more like “state capitalism,” where the government steers a lot of private industry decisions.
Are Trump’s economic policies eroding free-market capitalism? We hash it out with a libertarian and a Republican.
Guests:
Tad DeHaven – policy analyst with Cato Institute
Guy Ciarrocchi – columnist for RealClear PA and Broad & Liberty