To avoid being swept up in a Donald Trump Twitter storm,
companies are preemptively (or retroactively) announcing U.S. job creation
plans. They’re afraid that Trump will include their name in a negative tweet,
spawning a public relations crisis and forcing their stock price into the
toilet.
Seriously, friends, is extortion the best way to “make
America great again?”
Just recently, Trump went after Toyota and Ford for making
cars in Mexico, GM for not being American enough, Boeing and Lockheed for the cost
of airplanes and drug companies for high prices. In virtually every case, the company’s
stock price dropped like an anvil off the roof, costing the company millions or
billions in market value.
That’s why companies are coming out of the woodwork now to
announce positive jobs news to ward off a Twitter attack, and Trump is taking
credit for all of it. The problem is, most of these announcements were
originally made months or years ago.
For example:
* GM is promising 1,500 jobs, an announcement that actually dates
back to 2014.
* Walmart is throwing in 10,000 jobs, but wait…this is
standard yearly procedure for a company that also announced it has closed 269
under-performing stores and cut thousands of jobs.
* Hyundai vaguely promises “thousands” and Bayer said it would
keep 9,000 jobs and add 3,000, but only if the government approves its merger
with Monsanto.
* Sprint's 50,000 jobs were part of a previously announced
commitment by its parent company to expand business in the U.S. It was not a
deal made with Trump.
It’s not exactly “fake news,” as Trump likes to say, but
neither is it the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. These
announcements would never stand up in court.
It makes me think that President Obama should take to
Twitter during his final two days in office and take credit for things that happened
during his administration that he had nothing to do with. Here are some
suggestions:
“World War II is still over thanks to my generals. Proof that
our policies worked.”
“No outbreaks of polio since Obama elected. Record numbers
cured.”
“Alaska and Hawaii excel as states, thanks to my decision to
let them stay.”
“Population hits all-time high because of birth of new babies.”
“Sam’s Garage in Bugknuckle, Ark. adds second mechanic.
Area’s jobs growth soaring.”
“Rate of horrific dirigible disasters in New Jersey drops
dramatically.”
“Sinking of the Titanic
a thing of the past thanks to melting polar icebergs.”
“Cubs finally win World Series, thank Obama for being from
Chicago.”
“After 8 years, sky is still blue and water is still wet.”
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