‘We’re Coming for You’
Donald Trump‘s “saving” Carrier jobs last week was a sham, but it was great PR. A poll touted by Kellyanne Conway, his former campaign manager, said so, despite it being not only false but a bad course of action that, had President Obama done it, would have been branded “picking winners and losers” by the GOP, as they said when he saved the auto industry.
Back to that false part.
Trump got Mike Pence to give Carrier a $7 million tax break, and claimed he had saved 1100 jobs from going to Mexico.Â
“Now they’re keeping — actually the number’s over 1,100 people,†Trump told union members and reporters there to cover his victory tour, “which is so great.â€
Trump, as usual, exaggerated, counting hundreds of jobs that were never on the chopping block.
He also didn’t bother to even talk to the head of the union representing Carrier workers when he was in Indiana.
Chuck Jones, president of the United Steelworkers 1999, talked with The Washington Post on Tuesday, explaining how his members are devastated, and said of the president-elect, “for whatever reason, lied his a– off.”
“Trump and Pence, they pulled a dog and pony show on the numbers,†Jones said.
During the campaign, Trump promised to save the Carrier jobs from going to Mexico.
“They’re going to call me and they are going to say ‘Mr. President, Carrier has decided to stay in Indiana,’†Trump said in April at a campaign rally. “One hundred percent — that’s what is going to happen.â€
It didn’t.
Not even 50 percent.
As it turns out, only 730 to 800 jobs are not going to Mexico. Trump didn’t save the 1100 jobs he said he did, and he didn’t save the 1700+ jobs he promised he would.
Jones Wednesday night explained on CNN that more than 1200 people in two Indiana factories will lose their jobs – those jobs will be going to Mexico.
Now here’s where it gets ugly.
On Twitter late Wednesday night, a mere 20 minutes after the CNN interview, Trump went after Chuck Jones, saying he’s done “a terrible job representing workers,” and blaming him for companies moving to Mexico and elsewhere.
Jones is now getting threatening calls, as he told MSNBC late Wednesday night (video at top), and threatening email, he told The Huffington Post.
The Washington Post reports, “Half an hour after Trump tweeted about Jones on Wednesday, the union leader’s phone began to ring and kept ringing, he said. One voice asked: What kind of car do you drive? Another said: We’re coming for you.”
“Nothing that says they’re gonna kill me, but, you know, you better keep your eye on your kids,†Jones said later on MSNBC. “We know what car you drive. Things along those lines.â€
Jones also defended himself on CNN Thursday morning:
On Twitter, Jones is getting support, and even a hashtag:Â #ImWithChuck:
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