Harris: "Trump Sold Advanced Semiconductors to China"

[US Election 2024]
Targeting Swing States with the "Semiconductor Act"
To Black Men: "Don't Mistake Yourself as Belonging to the Trump Club"

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris criticized former President Donald Trump's statement on the 28th (local time) about eliminating investment subsidies under the semiconductor law, saying it is "not in the national interest."

On the same day, Vice President Harris toured the Hemlock Semiconductor plant in Saginaw, Michigan, a battleground state, and said, "He (former President Trump) recently appeared on a radio talk show and spoke about eliminating the semiconductor law," adding, "That law (the semiconductor law) is about investing billions of dollars in things like what is happening here now." She continued, "We created tax credits to enable the private sector to do this kind of work," and added, "That is a good thing."

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris visiting Hemlock Semiconductor in Michigan [Image source=Getty Images Yonhap News]

Vice President Harris criticized, "When he (Trump) was president, he sold advanced semiconductors to China, helping modernize the Chinese military," and said, "It was not beneficial to the two top priorities of a U.S. president: national security and prosperity."

This remark targeted former President Trump's podcast interview on the 25th. In that interview, Trump criticized the semiconductor law, which provides subsidies for overseas semiconductor companies investing in the U.S., and instead argued that high tariffs should be imposed on semiconductors produced overseas to force domestic production.

Additionally, Vice President Harris responded to Trump's comment blaming immigration policies for turning the U.S. into a "garbage dump," stating, "My opponent is an American who spends time disparaging who we are and saying we are the world's garbage dump," and said she is not like that. She then appealed for support, saying, "In eight days, the American people will make the most serious choice, which is a question about the direction we will take in the future."

Furthermore, targeting Trump's core supporters, workers with a high school diploma or less, she emphasized that jobs created through investments like the semiconductor law will not require a college degree. She said, "We need to move away from the idea that high-skilled jobs require a college degree."

Vice President Harris's visit to Hemlock Semiconductor on this day appears to be an appeal to voters that battleground states are receiving significant support through the Biden administration's economic policies, including the semiconductor support law. Hemlock Semiconductor has signed a preliminary conditional agreement to receive a total of $325 million in support from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the semiconductor support law. According to the Department of Commerce, Hemlock Semiconductor plans to build a new plant in Michigan through its own investment and subsidies, and once the plant is operational, 180 new jobs will be created.

Meanwhile, according to the Washington Post (WP) and others, Vice President Harris, on a podcast hosted by former African American NFL player Shannon Sharpe released on the same day, targeted relatively low-support African American male voters by saying, "Do you think he would invite you over for dinner?" and "Don't think you belong to the Donald Trump club."