During a recent appearance on “The View,” Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota claimed that former President Donald Trump set a record for lost manufacturing jobs. However, CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale quickly called him out for this false statement.
“It’s not true that the Trump presidency lost more manufacturing jobs than any other presidency,” Dale told host Kate Bolduan on “CNN News Central.” “Under George W. Bush, there were about 4.5 million manufacturing jobs lost. Under Trump, it was about 178,000. But there are also more manufacturing jobs lost than under Trump: under Eisenhower, under Ford, under Reagan. So Trump does not have the record.”
Dale also pointed out that the job losses under Trump were primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected job numbers across all industries. Before the pandemic, the manufacturing sector actually saw a gain of 414,000 jobs under Trump’s administration.
These facts call into question Walz’s repeated claims about Trump’s record on manufacturing jobs since being announced as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate on Aug. 6. His accuracy has also been called into question after claiming to have been in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 and facing accusations of “stolen valor” from Republican Sen. J.D. Vance at a recent campaign event.
Vance accused Walz of “stolen valor” after a video posted by the Harris-Walz campaign showed Walz discussing gun control at a rally. This raised questions about Walz’s military service, especially given the resurfacing of a 2018 Facebook post by retired Army Command Sergeant Major Thomas Behrends where he questioned Walz’s timing of retirement in regards to the Iraq war.
These misleading claims and allegations call into question Walz’s credibility and judgment. It’s clear that he is using false information in an attempt to discredit President Trump and portray him as having a negative impact on the economy. However, the reality is that under Trump’s leadership, the manufacturing sector saw job gains before the pandemic, and the losses that did occur were largely due to external factors.
It’s important for leaders to be transparent and truthful, especially when making claims about their opponents. Gov. Walz’s false statements and questionable history undermine his credibility and raise doubts about his ability to effectively lead.
American voters deserve to know the truth, and we must hold politicians accountable for their words and actions. The fact is, President Trump’s record on job creation and the economy speaks for itself, and it’s time to stop spreading false information for political gain.