The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Sanders, joined by Rust Belt Democrats, praises Trump for nixing TPP

January 23, 2017 at 12:05 p.m. EST
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) campaigns for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the University of Cincinnati in November. (John Minchillo/AP)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt), who campaigned hard against the Trans-Pacific Partnership in last year’s Democratic presidential primaries, praised President Trump for an executive order to officially pull the United States out of the deal.

“I am glad the Trans-Pacific Partnership is dead and gone,” Sanders said. “For the last 30 years, we have had a series of trade deals — including the North American Free Trade Agreement, permanent normal trade relations with China and others — which have cost us millions of decent-paying jobs and caused a ‘race to the bottom’ which has lowered wages for American workers. Now is the time to develop a new trade policy that helps working families, not just multinational corporations. If President Trump is serious about a new policy to help American workers, then I would be delighted to work with him.”