Word salad is on the menu pretty much any time Donald Trump opens his mouth these days. But a recent statement of his — answering a question on how to make child care more affordable — was really something else. I want to quote the whole thing, even though it’s pretty long. Maybe if you take a magnifying glass to it and squint at it sideways, it’ll start to make sense? Maybe there’s a secret, coherent code somewhere in here? "Well, I would do that, and we’re sitting down. You know, I was somebody — we had, Senator Marco Rubio, and my daughter Ivanka, was so impactful on that issue. It’s a very important issue. "But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I’m talking about — that, because look, child care is child care, couldn’t — you know, there’s something — you have to have it in this country. You have to have it. But when you talk about those numbers, compared to the kind of numbers that I’m talking about by taxing foreign nations at levels that they’re not used to. But they’ll get used to it very quickly. And it’s not going to stop them from doing business with us. But they’ll have a very substantial tax when they send product into our country. Those numbers are so much bigger than any numbers that we’re talking about, including child care, that it’s going to take care. We’re going to have — I look forward to having no deficits within a fairly short period of time, coupled with the reductions that I told you about on waste and fraud and all of the other things that are going on in our country. "Because I have to stay with child care. I want to stay with child care. But those numbers are small relative to the kind of economic numbers that I’m talking about, including growth, but growth also headed up by what the plan is that I just — that I just told you about. We’re going to be taking in trillions of dollars. And as much as child care is talked about as being expensive, it’s, relatively speaking, not very expensive compared to the kind of numbers will be taking in. "We’re going to make this into an incredible country that can afford to take care of its people. And then we’ll worry about the rest of the world. Let’s help other people. But we’re going to take care of our country first. This is about America first. It’s about make America great again. We have to do it because right now, we’re a failing nation. So we’ll take care of it. Thank you. Very good question. Thank you." Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m not seeing any resemblance of a policy proposal in there. His running mate didn’t do much better when he got a similar question last week: "I think one of the things that we can do is make it easier for family models to choose, or for families to choose whatever model they want, right? So, one of the ways that you might be able to relieve a little bit of pressure on people who are paying so much for daycare is make it so that — maybe, grandma and grandpa wants to help out a little bit more. Or maybe there’s an aunt or uncle that wants to help out a little bit more. If that happens you relieve some of the pressure on all the resources that we’re spending in daycare." Look: I actually did have a family member, my Aunt Bee, who was able to help me out with child care — a ton. But I also understand that not everyone has an Aunt Bee. A bunch of those grandmas and grandpas would be busy working extra hours for extra years if the far right succeeds in raising the retirement age. And even though Donald Trump seemed to minimize the importance of child care (if there actually was any meaning in that answer), it’s critical, basic infrastructure for our economy. People can’t get to work without roads, bridges, transit — or child care. So I’ve got a plan to put quality, affordable child care within reach for every family in America — while also raising wages for child care workers, who do some of our nation’s most important work. Half of families nationwide would pay no more than $10 a day. We can get this done. As long as we stay in the fight. It takes big, structural change — not word salad, not a kind family member — to solve a big, systemic problem. And it takes the will to get it done. We can’t trust Donald Trump and JD Vance to care enough about these problems that families are facing, and therefore develop real, substantial policies to get those problems solved. But you know who we can trust? Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. If we elect them to the White House, they will work to lower costs for families and make our government work for working people. And I’m running for re-election this November so I can be in those fights right by their side and get these policies passed. I will keep pushing for action on universal child care, housing affordability, abortion rights, anti-corruption reform, and more. But I can’t do it alone. | 
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