COLUMBUS — Following the release of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ August jobs report earlier today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper released the following statement:
“Donald Trump promised to bring jobs back to Ohio. But at every turn, he’s left working families worse off. Whether he’s botching our response to the pandemic and sending our economy into a meltdown, throwing farmers’ livelihoods into chaos, blaming Ohioans for shuttered plants or using Twitter to undermine thousands of Ohio jobs, his incompetence is costing us every day. We can’t afford another four years of this chaos; this November we’re putting an end to Trump’s failed presidency and sending Joe Biden to the White House.”
BACKGROUND ON TRUMP’S BROKEN PROMISES TO OHIO
Promise: “Those jobs have left Ohio. They’re all coming back. They’re all coming back. Don’t move. Don’t sell your house. Don’t sell your house.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Youngstown, July 25, 2017]
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Reality: After General Motors closed its Lordstown plant — costing 5,400 Ohioans their jobs — Trump tried to shift blame onto laid-off workers and their elected union leaders.
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Reality: Trump called for a boycott on Goodyear tires, undermining thousands of Ohioans’ livelihoods. His attacks drew widespread condemnation from workers, community leaders and even LeBron James — but no defense from Ohio Republicans.
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Reality: Last year was Ohio’s worst year for job creation since 2009 — the height of the Great Recession. From January 2019 to January 2020 — even before the coronavirus crisis hit and decimated the economy — Ohio lost 12,500 jobs, including 6,000 jobs in manufacturing.
Promise: “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. We have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” [CNBC Interview, Jan. 22, 2020]
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Reality: After Trump wasted time ignoring his own advisors and downplaying the coronavirus pandemic, the United States leads the world with over 6 million cases and more than 180,000 deaths. In Ohio alone, more than 124,000 people have contracted the virus, and more than 1.5 million have filed for unemployment since the outbreak began.
Promise: “We’re going to take care of our farmers. Our farmers are great American patriots.” [Ohio Republican Party State Dinner, Columbus, Aug. 24, 2018]
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Reality: As Ohio farmers suffered the collateral damage of Trump’s disastrous trade war, Ohio farm bankruptcies reached a decade-long high in 2019.
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