Today in Michigan Donald Trump promised to bring back jobs to America. One look at Trump’s record, though, and the GOP nominee has actually wanted to destroy US jobs.
Trump opposed the auto rescue last August saying, “You could have let it go, and rebuilt itself, through the free enterprise system. You could have let it go bankrupt, frankly, and rebuilt itself, and a lot of people felt it should happen.” 1.5 million American–338,000 of those in Michigan–jobs were saved in the auto rescue–and Trump thinks those jobs should have been destroyed.
Donald Trump, with his dangerous temperament, is the last person we want holding any power over the levers of the economy. His disastrous economic policies and opposition to the auto rescue his would undoubtedly put the livelihoods of millions of Americans at risk.
Trump Is Bad For Michigan And The Auto Industry
Trump is bad for auto-workers and the auto industry:
In 2015, Trump told a Michigan crowd that “you would have wound up in the same place” without the auto bailout. The Center for Automotive Research concluded that auto bailout saved as many as 1.5 million jobs nationwide and as many as 338,000 in Michigan alone.
In 2015, Trump espoused a plan to stop automakers from outsourcing jobs to Mexico by suggesting that the Big Three move jobs out of Michigan to lower-wage states. Trump stated that once Michigan “loses a couple of plants—all of a sudden you’ll make good deals in your own area.”
2015: Trump Opposed The Auto Rescue
2015: Trump Told Michigan Crowd That “You Would Have Wound Up In The Same Place” With Or Without Auto Bailout. According to the Washington Post, “The speech they got only occasionally focused on the problems of Michigan, as when Trump paused to note that the companies he would strong-arm out of moving factories to Mexico would be better off building them nearby. Trump’s glancing interest in local politics made it into in a pre-speech press conference. Asked if President Obama showed leadership in the 2008/2009 bailout of the major auto companies, Trump meandered through an answer that left him without a position. ‘You could have let it go, and rebuilt itself, through the free enterprise system,’ said Trump. ‘You could have let it go bankrupt, frankly, and rebuilt itself, and a lot of people felt it should happen. Or you could have done it the way it went. I could have done it either way. Either way would have been acceptable. I think you would have wound up in the same place.’” [Washington Post, 8/11/15]
- [Video] Donald Trump Said The Auto Industry Would Have “Wound Up In The Same Place” With Or Without The Auto Rescue. “‘You could have let it go, and rebuilt itself, through the free enterprise system. You could have let it go bankrupt, frankly, and rebuilt itself, and a lot of people felt it should happen. Or you could have done it the way it went. I could have done it either way. Either way would have been acceptable. I think you would have wound up in the same place.” [Donald Trump, Press Availability, Birch Run, MI, 8/11/15; American Bridge Tracking Footage]
- Detroit News, 2015: “GOP Presidential Frontrunner Donald Trump Has Shifted His Stance After Initially Voicing Support For The Bailout In 2008.” According to The Detroit News, “GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has shifted his stance after initially voicing support for the bailout in 2008. ‘I think the government should stand behind them 100 percent,’ Trump said on Fox News. ‘You cannot lose the auto companies. They’re great. They make wonderful products.’” [Detroit News, 12/15/15]
The Auto Bailout Out Saved Millions Of Jobs
Center For Automotive Research Concluded That The Auto Bailout Saved 1.5 Million U.S. Jobs. According to Reuters, “The federal bailout of General Motors Co, Chrysler and parts suppliers in 2009 saved 1.5 million U.S. jobs and preserved $105.3 billion in personal and social insurance tax collections, according to a study released on Monday. […] The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, estimated in its study that the bailout saved a lot of jobs, even crediting for a rebound of the industry in 2010 after the initial fallout.” [Reuters, 12/9/13]
- According To The Center For Automotive Research, As Many As 338,000 Michigan Jobs Were Saved From The Bailout
2009: Center For Automotive Research Predicted As Many As 338,000 Lost Jobs Over Two Years In Michigan Without A Successful Auto Bailout. In Worst Case Scenarios, The Center For Automotive Research Predicted Michigan Could Have Lost Up To 224,353 Jobs In 2009 And 113, 655 Jobs In 2010 Had There Been No Bailout. [Table 6: Job Loss Detail, By State, Scenario 2, Center For Automotive Research Memorandum: The Impact On The U.S. Economy Of Successful Versus Unsuccessful Automaker Bankruptcies, 3/26/09]
August 2015: Trump Suggested The Big Three Automakers Shift Jobs Out Of Michigan to Lower Wage States
To Stop Outsourcing Of Jobs To Mexico, Trump Suggested That Auto Companies Shift Jobs Out Of Michigan To States With Lower Wages. According to The Detroit News, “Donald Trump is making the future of U.S. auto production a cornerstone of his campaign for the Republican nomination for president. […] And Trump suggested one way to stop automakers’ expansion to Mexico is by moving some production out of Michigan to lower-wage states. […] He said U.S. automakers could shift production away from Michigan to communities where autoworkers would make less. ‘You can go to different parts of the United States and then ultimately you’d do full-circle — you’ll come back to Michigan because those guys are going to want their jobs back even if it is less,’ Trump said. ‘We can do the rotation in the United States — it doesn’t have to be in Mexico.” [Detroit News, 8/12/15]
Trump: After Michigan “Loses A Couple Of Plants — All Of Sudden You’ll Make Good Deals In Your Own Area.” After Michigan Detroit News, “And Trump suggested one way to stop automakers’ expansion to Mexico is by moving some production out of Michigan to lower-wage states. […] He said that after Michigan ‘loses a couple of plants — all of sudden you’ll make good deals in your own area.’ Although wages are lower at non-union U.S. plants owned by foreign automakers, hourly employees for Detroit’s Big Three are paid the same no matter what state they’re in, under the terms of United Auto Workers contracts.” [Detroit News, 8/12/15]
Published: Aug 8, 2016