Not Made in America: The unpatriotic ways Trump made his billions
Fourth of July weekend is almost here, and I can’t wait to celebrate our amazing country with my friends, my family, and my sweet puppy.
But before I leave the office for the weekend, I have to call out one Republican whose business practices are anything but patriotic. You all know who I’m talking about.
We all know that Donald Trump is only looking out for himself. Not for our veterans. Not for Americans trying to get ahead. And not for the economy we rise and fall with. America is already great thanks to the workers who wake up every day and contribute to our society. But Donald Trump doesn’t have a job for them.
That Trump couch you’re sitting on? The Trump picture frame and barware on your Trump sideboard? It wasn’t creating jobs and supporting American workers, because none of that was made here in America. It was made abroad. And I can only assume that the big, beautiful wall that Trump wants to built on our border with Mexico will have a chute built in so he can keep making Trump Collection clothing there and selling it here. Or maybe he’ll start making those products in Bangladesh or China, since he already made shirts and ties there.
Trump is deeply, dangerously, irrationally isolationist when he finds it politically expedient, but his reality is always his own bottom line. Why make products in the USA, where jobs will go to American workers and build up our economy, when you can make more money for your empire by taking advantage of cheap labor overseas?
Even when it would be easier — not just the right thing to do — to hire Americans, Trump has applied for visas so he could hire foreign workers for his domestic properties instead.
You may know the Mar-a-Lago as Trump’s lavish Florida club, where he likes to hold press conference and brag about his many businesses (including the failed ones).
But since 2010, almost 300 US residents know the Mar-a-Lago as that place that didn’t hire them. In that time, Trump sought visas for over 500 foreign workers rather than hire local applicants. Trump used undocumented Polish immigrants at the building sites for the infamous Trump Tower and the Old Post Office he’s currently renovating in our nation’s capitol.
I don’t know if I should be impressed with his dedication to raking in money for himself without care for American workers or unsurprised that he hasn’t hidden his true nature now that he’s a political candidate, but running for president hasn’t made Trump act more patriotic. Since launching his campaign, Trump has received permission to hire around 180 guest workers at his US properties.
Bottom line: Trump says he wants to make America great again, but he’s unwilling to sacrifice a dime of his own profit to make it happen.
But again, America is already great. Thanks to the hard work of so many people, our economy created over 14 million jobs since the Great Recession. Wages are rising. And unemployment is below 5% (lower than the 6% that the last GOP presidential candidate promised).
On Independence Day, I’ll be raising a glass to our beautiful country, the workers who keep it running, and the voters who will make sure that our 45th president is a Democrat.
