In an economic address on Monday, Donald Trump proposed a moratorium on new federal regulations.
Since running for president, Trump has leaned heavily on so-called supply-side economics. But not that long ago, he was boasting that he supported the Obama administration stimulus package, as well as bailouts for the auto industry and banks. In one instance, he told CNN host Larry King he supported President Obama's efforts to limit pay for top executives at companies that were accepting large portions of bailout funds.
"Is Obama right or wrong to go after these executives with salary caps?" King asked Trump in February 2009.
"Well, I think he's absolutely right," Trump replied. "Billions of dollars is being given to banks and others. You know, once you start using taxpayer money, it's a whole new game. So I absolutely think he's right."
As BuzzFeed News reported in November of last year, Trump also blogged about his support for the measure. In the same series of blog posts, he praised President Obama and rated his performance strongly.
"He asked me if Obama was right or wrong to go after these executives with salary caps — and I said he’s absolutely right," wrote Trump. "Billions of dollars are being given to banks, and once you start using taxpayer money, it’s a whole new ball game. It’s not a game I’m enjoying watching. The banks are trying to shore up their balance sheets. They’re supposed to be loaning out that money and they’re using it for other purposes, so it is a real mess."