Trump: ‘I’m a pretty good Republican’

Donald Trump in an interview broadcast late Sunday described himself as a “pretty good Republican,” while acknowledging that there are issues on which he differs with the GOP.

“I’m a pretty good Republican,” Trump told Scott Pelley on CBS’s “60 Minutes.” “But I will tell you this, I do have some differences.”

Trump has been under fire from his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination who have sought to highlight his past support for liberal causes and donations to Democrats.

Trump, who is expected to release a policy proposal on tax reform on Monday morning, said he disagrees with the party on raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, for example.

“I don’t want to have certain people on Wall Street getting away with paying no tax,” Trump said.

“Some [taxes on the] very wealthy are going to be raised [if I’m president],” Trump explained.

“Some people that are getting unfair deductions are going to be raised. But overall, it’s going to be a tremendous incentive to grow the economy and we’re going to take in the same or more money. And I think we’re going to have something that’s going to be spectacular.”

Trump said that under his tax plan, the nation’s poorest would pay a zero percent tax rate; that he’d offer a “substantial reduction” for the middle class; and offer corporations a tax reduction as well.

Trump argued that his tax cut plan wouldn’t add the national debt because the economy would grow under his leadership.

“My economy will expand so rapidly,” Trump said. “We’re going to take jobs back from other countries. And we will be able to pay for it.”

–This report was updated at 8:30 p.m.