Donald Trump's successful run for the presidency reflects the frustration that working Americans have felt for years with the nation's leaders, Sen. Jeff Sessions said Monday.
"They're working Americans that have provided Ronald Reagan with a victory, and the big victory of George W. Bush in 2004," the Alabama Republican told
MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "Just average, good people."
But they are "frustrated about what's happening," Sessions, who will be speaking at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on Monday told the program. "Things are not working well for them. The median income in this country is down $1,486 since 1999.
"You have this steady decline and people's financial well-being. Politicians haven't understood it, they haven't talked about it. I believe bad trade deals and excessive flow of labor through immigration and illegal immigration is impacting wages, also. No doubt about it."
And the Democratic Party has also been on the wrong side of such issues, said Sessions, because they "advocated" them.
"The Republicans, their constituency, have expected them to be more effective in defending their interests as we go forward," said Sessions.
Meanwhile, he disagreed that Trump needs to become more specific about his policy plans to win the election, but instead, "he needs to go forward with a plan that would strengthen our immigration system, and make sure it serve our interests," said Sessions.
"He needs to say that with the trade deals, he's going to fight for every job," he continued. "We believe in trade. We are a trading nation, but we're not going to allow our trading partners to cheat, the currency manipulation and other things that take jobs unfairly."
But he does think Trump can be more specific on trade, and how he believes "that trade is good for America and how he can show that we've had bad trade deals and how things are not working well."
Sessions also said he does not have any concerns about Gov. Mike Pence, Trump's vice
presidential pick, having voted for NAFTA, as he has also supported many trade bills that he now thinks were mistakes.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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