http://thehill.com/policy/finance/278778-trump-expresses-openness-to-raising-minimum-wageBy Ben Kamisar - 05/04/16 06:16 PM EDT
In a reversal, Donald Trump expressed openness to raising the minimum wage during an interview on Wednesday.
“I'm looking at that, I'm very different from most Republicans,” Trump told CNN Wednesday about the prospect of raising the minimum wage.
“You have to have something you can live on. But what I 'm really looking to do is get people great jobs so they make much more money than that, much more money than the $15.”
The federal minimum wage is $7.25, but labor groups have been pushing for it to be raised to $15.
During a November debate, Trump voiced opposition to raising the mimimum wage.
“I hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is,” he said during the debate.
During a November appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Trump said the current minimum wage is too high and was slowing job growth.
"We have to become competitive with the world. Our taxes are too high, our wages are too high, everything is too high,” he said. “What's going to happen is now people are going to start firing people.”
On Wednesday, Trump did caution that lawmakers would have to be careful with raising the $7.25 minimum too miuch.
“If you start playing around too much with that lower level number, you are not going to be competitive,” he said, before reiterating that he's “open to doing something” with the federal minimum wage.
Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton backs a $12 minimum wage and has supported local attempts to push for $15 per hour, while Bernie Sanders supports a $15 federal minimum wage.
Republicans at large are against raising that number. Rick Santorum is the only GOP presidential candidate who backed raising the minimum wage. Ben Carson briefly signaled openness before walking that back.
