Chamber of Commerce sounds positive notes on Trump

By Joseph Lawler, Joseph Lawler

Published December 20, 2015

The country's biggest business group is speaking favorably of the Trump phenomenon, at least for now.

Donald Trump, the billionaire populist who currently leads the Republican presidential field, "will be a positive participant in this process for a while," said Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Donohue's conciliatory commentary on Trump Friday morning is notable given that Trump's candidacy is a threat to some of the top priorities of the business group, especially in regard to immigration reform.

In the past, Donohue has suggested that the Chamber, one of the biggest campaign donors, might depart from its normal policy of staying out of presidential races in order to respond to a candidate who threatens the country's free-enterprise policies.