Trump’s 2020 campaign tested ‘outlandish’ idea of giving Americans ability to sue China in court, book says
Among other ideas tested were expelling Chinese scientists, researchers and technicians
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign allegedly tested using a number of “outlandish” ideas, including a potential policy to allow Americans to sue China in court and expel Chinese scientists, a new book has claimed.
According to This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America’s Future, written by two New York Times journalists, Mr Trump’s top aides tested the public’s reaction to expelling Chinese scientists from the US, reported the Insider.
It also poll-tested sending the National Guard into US cities in times of social unrest.
“John would send me these emails that went on for pages with these crazy f****** questions. I’d say to him: ‘Where are you getting these questions from?’” Mr Trump’s pollster Tony Fabrizio told the book’s authors Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns. The report is unclear about who Mr Fabrizio was referring to as “John”.
The specific wording on the question about expelling Chinese scientists was stated in the book as whether one “would favour or oppose requiring all Chinese scientists, researchers, and technicians that are Chinese citizens to leave the US”.
The polling was conducted during Mr Trump’s 2020 campaign for reelection and when the Covid pandemic had started raging across the US and other countries, leading to hate crimes and baseless accusations against Chinese citizens and those of Asian origin.
The 2020 poll test was similar to Mr Trump’s 2015 campaign proposal banning Muslims from entering the US.
The decision to follow through with the policy had sparked condemnation and nationwide protests. The Trump White House revised the policy multiple times before the Supreme Court upheld it in a 5-4 decision.
The questions came from a “fluid” group of official and unofficial aides of Mr Trump, according to the book’s authors, who described the polling questions as “outlandish” and “provocative”.
The cohort of aides included former House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich, former Clinton ally Dick Morris and White House adviser Stephen Miller.
Mr Gingrich told Insider that the reporting on the questions “doesn’t sound right” and denied to go into detail about the ones he was involved with.
“In April polling, a majority of likely swing-state voters opposed cracking down on Chinese students and researchers. But, through the spring and summer, the far-out proposals only kept coming from Trump’s fluid circle of formal and informal advisers,” the authors wrote.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments