Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:37 pm
President-elect Trump is hyping the PR stunt of saving 1,000 jobs in Indiana, by giving Carrier a package of tax cuts and incentives, but it is nothing compared to the 1.2 million jobs that President Obama saved with the auto bailout.
Trump tweeted:
Big day on Thursday for Indiana and the great workers of that wonderful state.We will keep our companies and jobs in the U.S. Thanks Carrier
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— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016
It is a great PR move for Trump. The problem is that his stunt with Carrier is a drop in the bucket compared to what Obama accomplished. Kevin Drum at Mother Jones pointed out, “Compared to Carrier’s 1,000 jobs, Obama’s auto bailout saved something like 250,000 jobs at GM and Chrysler, and 1-2 million total jobs throughout the entire automotive supply chain.” Trump and Pence kept Carrier in Indiana the old fashioned way.
They bribed them with tax cuts and incentives:
Deal terms to keep Carrier jobs in Indiana include new inducements from state. Deal spear headed by former Indiana Gov Pence.
— David Faber (@davidfaber) November 30, 2016
There is also a math problem that Trump doesn’t want to face. While 1,000 jobs will be staying in the US, at least 1,100 jobs will be moving to Mexico.
Obama saved 1.2 million jobs. Trump is at (-100). The president-elect will get loads of publicity out of his Indiana appearance, and that is what this is all about. President Obama has lamented the fact that he hasn’t effectively gotten the message to voters about his accomplishments.
Donald Trump is going to be the complete opposite. As President Of The United States, Trump is going to continue to sell his every move as the biggest, most earth-shaking development in presidential history. Prepare for four years of endless hype that will never match the substance.
As Paul Krugman pointed out:
If Trump did a Carrier-style deal every week for the next 4 years, he could bring back 4% of the manufacturing jobs lost since 2000.
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) November 30, 2016
It is all a scam. Trump makes a big production out of saving 1,000 jobs in Indiana, while behind closed doors, he is preparing to raise the workers’ taxes to pay for a massive tax cut for the rich.
Just remember that what Donald Trump is pretending to do, President Obama already did 1.2 million times over.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
