Donald Trump Detroit speech: Republican’s populist message repeatedly interrupted by protesters

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Donald Trump has outlined a populist economic vision – promising to cut taxes and renegotiate trade deals and vowing to “jump-start America”.

In a speech in Detroit that was – to his clear annoyance – repeatedly interrupted by a succession of apparently coordinated protesters, Mr Trump carefully sought to target the American middle class and workers. He said he would provide a tax credit for working parents who spent on childcare, and said he would walk away from trade deals such as NAFTA, if they were not renegotiated to America’s advantage.

“We now start the conversation about economic renewal,” he said, speaking the Detroit Economic Club, a traditional venue for political candidates to discuss their economic vision. “It’s about making America great again.”

During the 45-minute address, he proposed cutting the number of federal income tax brackets from seven to three and reducing the top rate to 33 per cent from 39.6 per cent. He had previously said he would drop that rate to 25 per cent, an idea many tax experts said would dramatically reduce government income and balloon deficits, Reuters said.

While Mr Trump was speaking from a tele-prompter and did not veer much from his remarks to comment on the series of protesters who were led from the hall, he did find time to take aim at his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

“She is the candidate of the past,” he said. “Ours is the campaign of the future.”

He added: “We will make America grow again.”

At one point, he said of the protesters: “It’s all very well planned out....I will say, the Bernie Sanders people had far more energy and spirit.”

His address to the Detroit Economic Club, was probably his most detailed attempt so far to lay out a coherent plan for how he would manage America’s economy. It was also the first speech he has delivered since the announcement last week of a 13-strong pool of economic advisers – all of them white men, ranging in age from 50 to 74.

On Sunday, economist David Malpass attributed the lack of diversity to how quickly the team was put together.

“The campaign is moving very fast. This is not something that Trump planned to do for a long time. He’s not a career politician,” he told CNN.

“What we’re doing is building very quickly and announcing the details of the economic program in stages.”