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Donald Trump explained why he did not go ahead with planned signing of a bipartisan housing bill and it earned him the nickname “Slumlord in Chief” by critics.
On Wednesday (24 June), US president Trump surprised even his own party after abruptly cancelling the signing ceremony for a bipartisan affordable housing bill that it was hoped would make it easier for Americans to own their own homes.
It was a bill being proudly touted by Trump’s own White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as among the “most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation” in the country’s history – and yet, it remains unsigned.
Why? He doesn’t want to hurt “rich” people who are already homeowners.
“I said I’m not signing the housing bill,” Trump told reporters. “I made billions of dollars with housing. I know housing better than anybody maybe anywhere. It’s all about the interest rate. Lower the interest rates, you can have all the housing you want.
“You have to understand, I don’t want to hurt people that own houses either. These people, for the first time in their lives, they have valuable houses. They become rich. I don’t want to hurt them either.”
The press office for California governor Gavin Newsom, labelled Trump, “Slumlord in Chief”.
Another wrote, “Again. Protecting the rich.”
Someone argued: “Maybe putting an avaricious boomer in charge of increasing housing supply at the national level was a bad idea.”
One person claimed: “This is maybe the 7th time I’ve seen Trump say he wants housing to remain unaffordable—even more unaffordable preferably. Now he’s actually refusing to sign a housing affordability bill.”
One person claimed: “This is maybe the 7th time I’ve seen Trump say he wants housing to remain unaffordable—even more unaffordable preferably. Now he’s actually refusing to sign a housing affordability bill.”“A**hole move. Boomers First,” someone else wrote.
Another argued: “He cares about private equity & corporations more than you and your family. The proposed bill would limit how many homes that could be purchased, hoarded & resold by big business & banks. He’s not prepared to turn on his donors. He’s more comfortable shifting the bill to YOU.”
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