Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell agrees with several points made by Donald Trump about free trade and U.S. relations with China, but believes the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is entirely wrong in his delivery.
“You know, all that Donald Trump says isn’t wrong,” Rendell, who will serve as chairman of the Democratic National Convention host committee later this month, said in an interview with SiriusXM’s Dean Obeidallah. “It’s the way he says it — and there are many things he does say that’s wrong.”
“But [Trump’s] right about China,” Rendell continued. “We have, for some reason, not stood up to China. We’ve allowed them to manipulate their currency, which gives their businesses tremendous advantage in selling to America. They came in here and tried to dump low-priced, subsidized steel pipe to get rid of the steel pipe industry in the U.S.”
Rendell also sided with Trump on trade, claiming that China has taken “advantage of us in trade and cost Pennsylvania some significant jobs.” Trump recently accused the Chinese of “raping” the U.S. through trade policy.
“We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country, and that’s what we’re doing,” the billionaire told supporters at a rally in May.
“There are some things that Donald Trump talks about that do have a germ of reason or a germ of truth,” he repeated, noting, however, that he is “absolutely” a supporter of Hillary Clinton.
“I think he really stands against everything that makes this country great,” Rendell said of Trump. “He would divide us, he would pit one group against another.”
