IMF's Lagarde Hails Trump's Corporate Tax Reform

In a comment that turned out to be a major surprise Thursday, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde praised the corporate tax cut in President Trump's tax reform package.

Asked by Sky News' Ed Conaway if she could name "anything Donald Trump has done right," Lagarde responded by citing the corporate tax reform measure as something she was "pleased to have happen."

Trump's tax measure was a positive step, she told reporters, "to encourage enterprises [in the U.S.]."

Lagarde also announced the IMF has to "update its forecast for the U.S." to have greater prosperity in the coming year.

The IMF chief quickly added, however, she felt "the U.S. should try to [move] its deficit and [national] debt downward rather than upward."

Lagarde's praise of the Trump administration's tax policy comes a week after the White House signaled it was not changing its role as the largest shareholder in the multibillion dollar IMF.

Last week, Newsmax asked the White House whether the appointment of National Security Adviser John Bolton — who once branded the Fund "ineffective, unnecessary, and obsolete" — meant the U.S. was changing its policy of supporting the IMF.

"I don't have any policy changes on that front at this time, and I don't expect any on that front" replied White House press secretary Sarah Sanders.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.