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When people lose jobs — they usually blame the president.
When those lost jobs are from the rural manufacturing sector — the economic cast-offs are likely to stay home during the next election, to express their personal distress.
And when it’s Trump’s Tariffs causing the Job erosion, the cast-asides will have no one to blame but Trump himself … (and their own “take a chance” vote for him).
Largest US nail manufacturer 'on the brink of extinction' because of the steel tariffs
by Chris Isidore, CNNMoney — June 26, 2018
[...]
[Mid-Continent Nail spokesman] Glassman said the company might relocate to Mexico, where it could buy the steel without the tariffs — and then export the finished nails back to the United States without tariffs, which only apply to raw materials.
"It's obviously an option," said Glassman about moving to Mexico. "It absolutely is something this company does not want to do. It wants to save the jobs in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.”
[...]
About 21,000 US companies have filed for tariff exclusions. In a June 20 Senate hearing, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Mid-Continent had filed a request for an exclusion only two days earlier.
[...]
The US Chamber of Commerce has estimated that 2.6 million US jobs are at risk because of the Trump administration's hard-line policies on trade, although that estimate includes the impact of ending NAFTA. The tariffs that have already been proposed could cost the US economy about 700,000 jobs by next summer, according to Moody's Analytics.
An economically savvy president is supposed to “grow the pie” for everyone involved: Workers, Owners, Suppliers, Customers …
An economically stubborn president, somehow manages to “shrink the pie” for all those involved. Just ask Harley Davidson ...
Harley-Davidson will move some production out of US after retaliatory tariffs
by Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNNMoney — June 25, 2018
The company is shifting some production of motorcycles for European customers out of the United States to avoid EU retaliatory tariffs.
Harley-Davidson's move is some of the most direct evidence yet that tit-for-tat trade fights between the United States and other countries have consequences for American companies. Harley-Davidson said it stood to lose as much as $100 million a year.
"Increasing international production to alleviate the EU tariff burden is not the company's preference, but represents the only sustainable option," it said in a regulatory filing on Monday. Harley-Davidson's (HOG) stock tumbled 6%.
Still the economically-challenged King of Stubborn — would rather blame the Messenger, than heed the Message …
President Trump encourages Harley-Davidson owners to boycott motorcycle company
by David Boroff, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS — Aug 12, 2018
Trump continued to rev up his feud with Harley-Davidson on Sunday by encouraging customers to boycott the motorcycle company.
Harley announced a plan this year to move production for the European Union from the U.S. to overseas. [...]
Trump’s self-inflicted economic loss, should be a boon to The Democratic Party — historically the party of Labor. The tariff-impacted Trump devotees are starting to get restless ...
'A huge red flag': why Trump could be toxic for Republicans at the midterms
by David Smith in Washington, The Guardian -- 12 Aug 2018
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This week Element Electronics warned that it might be forced to close its factory in Winnsboro and lay off 126 people because of TV parts affected by Donald Trump’s tariffs. Republican strategists fear there could be many more casualties in the president’s trade war with China.
[...] Pork producers and whisky distillers have reportedly been hurt, while the tariffs contributed to $1bn higher costs for General Motors. Harley Davidson announced that it would relocate some of its production out of the US because of the trade war with the European Union, earning a rebuke from the president.
The biggest losers are likely to be Trump’s biggest supporters. [Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican national committee] said: “This is a direct assault on his base. Members of Congress who represent those areas know this. Certainly you’re now beginning to hear from many of those communities — tepidly, they’re trying to walk that fine line, they don’t want to slam the president — but at the same time they’re sitting there saying, ‘Hey, we’re beginning to feel this.’ I don’t see how this ends well for a party that is trying to hold on to a 23-seat majority when you’ve got well over 60 seats that are in play.”
Instead of letting them “walk that fine line” — Dems need to start challenging the locals to pick a side:
What’s it gonna be: Trump and his wrecking-ball Tariffs; or Dems and living-wage Jobs?
Even the most devoted Trump-fanatic will re-think the fan-club, if it means keeping their Jobs.
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