Trump Tweets ‘Corporations Showering Workers With Bonuses’ After Tax Cut Bill Passes Is Now ‘The Rage.’ It’s Not. Not Even Close.
‘This Is a Phenomenon That Nobody Even Thought of, and Now It Is the Rage’ Trump Tweets
There are about 32 million corporations in America, and just a handful have announced they are giving a portion of their employees $1000 bonuses in the wake of the passage of the GOP tax-cuts-for-the-rich bill this week. But in President Donald Trump’s mind, three companies giving out bonuses to less than a half-million workers in a country of 323 million people means “now it is the rage.” (Two companies say they are raising their minimum wage to $15, and one is investing $300 million in worker training and facilities. Five companies in total have announced expenditures in response to the bill.)
Calling it “an unexpected new source of ‘love,'” Trump posted this gleeful yet totally false tweet Friday morning:
Our big and very popular Tax Cut and Reform Bill has taken on an unexpected new source of “love†– that is big companies and corporations showering their workers with bonuses. ‘This is a phenomenon that nobody even thought of, and now it is the rage’ . Merry Christmas!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017
Unlike the tax cuts for these huge corporations that make billions in profits, the $1000 bonuses are temporary, just like the tax cuts they may receive.Â
Trump’s tax cuts bill is not “very popular” either – it’s even less popular than President Trump. Just 26 percent of Americans support the legislation.
It’s important to note too that these bonuses are nothing more than PR stunts and attempts to retain employees in a market where available workers are becoming scarce. Unemployment is at a 17-year low, and companies tossing employees $1000 is a small price to pay for loyalty.
Among the companies that have announced the bonuses is AT&T, which is desperate to curry favor with the Trump administration. It wants its proposed merger with Time Warner to be approved. The DOJ is suing to stop it.Â
To comment on this article and other NCRM content, visit our Facebook page.
Image by DonkeyHotey via Flickr and a CC license
If you find NCRM valuable, would you please consider making a donation to support our independent journalism?
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.