Watch Donald Trump Literally ‘Cut the Red Tape’ After Speech on Deregulation
President Donald Trump gave a speech today on economic growth, celebrating his administration’s 2-for-1 deregulation program, which was instituted just days after he took office in January. The policy would force the government to eliminate two regulations for every one that was created.
Trump, however, said that 2017 had represented a watershed year for deregulation, with his program working overtime to eliminate 22 regulations for every new regulation created. He also claimed his administration has managed to eliminate more than 1,100 regulations since he took office, saying he has saved American taxpayers over $8 billion.
The truth, or lack thereof, regarding Trump’s bombastic statements will be debated throughout the coming days, but there is one thing everyone can agree on.
Our president sure can conduct grand bits of political theater.
At the end of his largely self-congratulatory speech, Trump brought out stacks and stacks of paper, meant to represent all of the pages of regulation our government currently operates under. He contrasted this with a much smaller pile of paper, meant to represent government regulation in 1960.
After promising to reduce current regulations to below-1960 levels, he broke out a pair of giant scissors and cut a lengthy strand of red tape.
Yeah. Literal red tape.
The move was eerily reminiscent to Trump unveiling a plan — days before Inauguration Day — to disentangle himself from his business empire, unveiling stacks and stacks of manilla folders, each allegedly containing specific details. It was later discovered that these pages were likely blank.
Trump also said during his remarks that “beautiful” clean coal is coming back and broke out a ridiculously large chart to show how hard it is to get a highway approved.
Watch above, via CNN.
[image via screenshot]
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