To the editor: Last Thursday, I watched a video clip of former President Trump’s response to a question at the Economic Club of New York about the issue of child care affordability. He was unable to answer the question and what came out of his mouth was gibberish (“Trump Says He Will Boost Economy By Cutting Federal Spending, Corporate Taxes,” Sept. 5).
The next morning, I watched political analysts fume over the lack of mainstream media coverage of their stultifying evasion of the issue. My hope that the Times' coverage would be an exception was dashed when I read the Associated Press article it published.
The only surprising thing about this interaction with Trump is that the Economic Club of New York asked him such a specific question about his plan to address child care costs. There was likely no one at that meeting, particularly Trump, who had experience or knowledge about the inability to pay for child care.
Trump clearly doesn't care about anything.
Barbara Jackson, Cerritos
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To the editor: The Associated Press reporters who wrote the Times article about Trump's appearance at the Economic Club of New York left out the most obvious part: his response, a complete jumble of words, to a question from a panelist about child care in the United States.
Reading the article, one might assume that nothing out of the ordinary happened, when in reality the incoherence of this man remains astonishing.
Why does the media continue to treat Trump as a normal candidate despite everything we have endured with him over the past nine years? I am losing faith in the so-called Fourth Estate.
Mike Aguilar, Costa Mesa
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To the editor: Of course Americans pay the tariffs, as columnist Michael Hiltzik says.
In the 1980s, I was a buyer for a large department store chain and spent a month a year in Asia. At that time, the tariff on merchandise I purchased was 8% if the product could not be produced in the United States, either because of lack of availability of fabric or the cost of labor. If the product could be produced in the United States, the tariff was 16%, an incentive to encourage us to buy from American manufacturers.
The tariff was part of the total cost of the goods, including shipping from abroad. The buyer then calculated the retail price to be paid by the consumer based on a reasonable margin. The cost of the tariff was borne by the consumer who purchased the goods.
Trump often makes claims that have no basis in reality, even if his advisers tell him otherwise. He is basically a salesman and his product is himself.
Barbara Luther, Orange
