Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) said during a Thursday night appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah that President Donald Trump “hasn’t done a damn thing” for the economy.
Noah began the interview by congratulating Ryan for making the first Democratic debate, scheduled for June 26 and 27 in Miami.
“Most people would’ve never given me a chance to get on the debate stage, and here we are. And that’s kind of the beginning of the game. We’re in the game and we’re excited to get our message out,” Ryan said.
“Do you really believe you have a shot in this game?” Noah responded. “I know you don’t believe you’re out of it, but why?”
“Where I come from—I represent the forgotten communities of the country, and I think if you look at the history of these races—Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump—the winner usually comes out of nowhere,” Ryan said, emphasizing throughout the interview that he represents “the forgotten people.”
“I think the shine’s coming off the apple,” Ryan said in regards to Trump’s economic policies.
“I think people are saying you made all these promises and you haven’t delivered. And so my argument to the Democratic voter is to say: look, who better to prosecute the case on the economy than the very person who represents the communities that Donald Trump lied to about bringing the economy back? He hasn’t done a damn thing,” Ryan said. “We’re still getting our rear ends kicked by China with electric vehicles, with solar panels, with wind turbines—all these manufacturing jobs that I want to bring back, he hasn’t done anything to do that.”
Ryan said that the Democratic Party has become a “very coastal” and “very Ivy League” party, and continues to run on a platform that speaks to the economic concerns of working-class Americans.
“Seventy-five percent of the American people still live paycheck to paycheck. Forty percent of the American people can’t withstand a $400 emergency,” he claimed. “We have to speak directly to that.”
“Bread and butter issues. That’s how you beat Donald Trump because he hasn’t delivered for them,” he concluded.
During a May appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, the host challenged Ryan on his plan to “run against the economy.”
“Well, come on. The economy is not horrible. 4.4 percent is the unemployment rate in Ohio. It’s kind of hard to run against the economy in Ohio, isn’t it?” Maher said, but Ryan maintained that the country isn’t doing enough to “move into the future economy.”
In a Saturday tweet, President Donald Trump claimed that his economy “is setting records, and has a long way up to go.”
“However, if anyone but me takes over in 2020 (I know the competition very well), there will be a market crash the likes of which has not been seen before,” Trump said.
The Trump Economy is setting records, and has a long way up to go….However, if anyone but me takes over in 2020 (I know the competition very well), there will be a Market Crash the likes of which has not been seen before! KEEP AMERICA GREAT
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2019
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tim Ryan-Daily Show” by the Daily Show.
