Donald Trump Attacks GM For Manufacturing In China Despite Making His Own Goods There
Donald Trump attacked General Motors on Friday in a tweet aimed at the auto manufacturer’s workforce balance. The president said in a tweet that GM should move its workforce from China back into the U.S. However, his tweet was met with criticism that Trump manufactures his own goods in Asia.
“General Motors, which was once the Giant of Detroit, is now one of the smallest auto manufacturers there. They moved major plants to China, BEFORE I CAME INTO OFFICE,” he wrote. “This was done despite the saving help given them by the USA. Now they should start moving back to America again?”
But as Quartz reported in 2018, only 15 percent of Trump’s products in his store were made in the U.S. At the time, there were 268 items for sale at the Trump Organization online store, and only 41 of them were made in the country.
A visit to the Trump Store shows a section of the site dedicated to items made in the U.S., including a dog leash and collar, a few hats, and some clothing. A vast majority of the good in the store are not made in the country.
Social media users were quick to point out the issue with a series of images showing Trump goods, along with clothing manufactured by his daughter Ivanka, that were made in countries like China and India.
“Have you and your family moved all of your product production to the USA yet? Lead by example,” tweeted one user.
“Didn’t you have your hats and products made in China?” tweeted another.
The president’s message was also criticized for its inaccuracies. According to CNBC, GM is still the largest automaker in the U.S., though it has lost ground to Ford and Fiat Chrysler in the number of union-represented employees in the country.
GM has also never moved a facility from the U.S. to China.
Trump’s tweet comes as he continues his attack on the auto manufacturer, which he has criticized in the past for trimming down its domestic production in favor of cheaper countries like Mexico and China. The company is also planning to shut down some of its manufacturing in the country, which has prompted attacks from the president.
According to Politico, GM employs just 46,000 union workers in the U.S. compared to a high of more than 618,000 40 years ago. The company was hit hard by the 2008 recession and let thousands of workers go after filing for bankruptcy protection.
