This morning Donald Trump bashed NBC,
tweeting: “Totally biased NBCNews went out of its way to say that the big
announcement from Ford, G.M., Lockheed & others that jobs are coming back
to the U.S., but had nothing to do with TRUMP, is more FAKE NEWS. Ask top CEO’s
of those companies for real facts. Came back because of me!”
Here are four takeaways from Trump’s latest tantrum:
1.
As usual, Trump has his
facts wrong.
Analysts say Ford’s decision to expand in Michigan rather than in
Mexico had mostly to do with the company’s long-term plans to invest in
electric vehicles. It’s easier for companies to find highly skilled workers to
build new products, such as electric cars, in the United States than in Mexico.
GM
said its plan was
approved before the election, but it was “accelerated” under pressure
from Trump. Relatedly, Sergio
Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler chief executive,
said Chrysler’s plan to build
some cars in the U.S. had been in the works for more than a year and had
nothing to do with Trump. Marchionne credited the decision to talks with the
United Auto Workers.
2.
Once again, the tweet reveals Trump’s pathological narcissism.
All Trump can
think of about is “TRUMP,” which he capitalizes, then insists that the
jobs “Came back because of me!” This is the rant of a child wanting
attention and
praise, not someone who will shortly be President of the United States.
3.
It’s also dangerous.
Although Trump’s outrage at NBC –
like his condemnation of other specific media outlets that don’t report
what he wants – is harmless now, it could threaten press freedom when
Trump
has power over regulators at the FCC and antitrust division who could
make life
difficult for targeted media outlets.
4.
It’s intended to divert attention from the big stuff. Trump’s
specific deals with particular companies diverts attention from his
larger initiatives that will hurt working Americans.
Repealing the Affordable Care Act, for example, will leave at least 18 million Americans without health insurance next year.
Trump’s
cabinet picks are overwhelmingly anti-worker. Andrew Puzder, Trump’s
nominee for the Labor Department, wants to get rid of Obama’s overtime
rule, which, if implemented, is expected to add
$12 billion to workers’ wallets over the next decade. And Puzder is against the
minimum wage.
And the huge corporate tax cuts and military buildup Trump is pushing
will give congressional Republicans a rationale to cut Medicare and Social Security, in order to avoid bigger budget deficits.
A few jobs
“saved” is nothing compared to these and other hardships Trump will be imposing
on working Americans.
All told, Trump’s tweet tantrum reveals a
great deal about the man who’s soon to be president of the United
States. None of it inspires confidence.
Robert Reich