Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday ripped Vivek Ramaswamy for wanting to raise inheritance taxes to 59%, telling Newsmax it is the “the last thing we should do in the wake of Joe Biden’s failed economic policies.”
“The American people deserve to know that he’s advocated in the last year for a 59% inheritance tax,” Pence told Newsmax‘s “America Right Now.”
The jab came after the two GOP presidential candidates shared a tense exchange at the first Republican presidential debate last week in Milwaukee.
“The last thing we should do in the wake of Joe Biden’s failed economic policies is raise taxes on anyone. When I was governor of Indiana, we cut income taxes and we also completely eliminated death taxes in Indiana,” he added.
“Those are the kind of policies I’ll advance if I’m president of the United States. But again, I want to tell you that elections are about choices. I’m looking forward to being on that debate stage in California and will continue to draw a bright contrast between the failed policies of the Biden administrations and my Vision for America, but also between all the candidates on that stage. And uh, any candidate that doesn’t come and show up.”
Ramaswamy in his book, “Nation of Victims,” wrote, “The way to save meritocracy from degenerating into aristocracy is to give inheritance and real estate taxes real teeth.”
“A hefty inheritance tax with no gaping loopholes gives us the best of meritocracy while avoiding the worst: people have an incentive to work hard and innovate during their lifetimes, but their children must start fresh, without getting to ride on their parents’ coattails.”
Ramaswamy’s campaign last week said Pence never read Ramaswamy’s book.
“Vivek supports a 12% flat tax across the board, while eliminating cronyist deductions and loopholes. Vivek laid out a mathematical calculation on how to fully eliminate the federal income tax, which wasn’t even constitutional for most of its history. Vivek is an intellectual, not a partisan hack, so he explores ideas,” said Tricia McLaughlin, Ramasamy’s communications director in a statement to NBC News.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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