Pawn Stars Rick Harrison praises Trump at White House summit

Rick Harrison, the 61-year-old star of the History Channel's "Pawn Stars" and owner of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, drew both applause and online criticism after praising President Donald Trump as "maybe the best president ever" during an impromptu speech at the White House Small Business Summit on Monday.

Harrison, invited to speak on short notice to more than 130 small business owners from all 50 states, described himself as a history buff familiar with the presidency. "Literally, he's going to go down as maybe the best president ever. I love this guy," he told the crowd, according to attendees and video footage. He specifically commended the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which Trump signed last year, for making permanent a 20 percent deduction for small businesses and allowing 100 percent expensing for factories, equipment, and improvements. "God bless you for letting me get 100 depreciation. It really helps out," Harrison said, noting the benefits to his own operations.

Harrison also criticized the prior administration under President Joe Biden, claiming small business owners had been portrayed as "the evil people and the bad people" who did not pay their fair...