On the Sunday before his first day in office, Trump goes to work setting up meetings with major manufacturers with the aim of creating jobs.
Sunday morning, the weekend following his inauguration, our president- Donald J. Trump sat down in the Roosevelt room with executive and business leaders from major firms across the country to discuss his plans to create jobs, stimulate the economy, protect the environment, and improve trade.
The 70-year-old president was energetic and smiling as he entered into the discussion, raising laughter from the gathering before sitting down. He praised attendees, thanking them for their help setting up the meeting and congratulating them on the success of their respective firms.
The President began by suggesting that these meetings with major business and financial leaders should take place every quarter. He stated that the decisions that come out of this, and subsequent meetings will have global implications, suggesting that those implications should be weighed very carefully.
In the same breath, he said in a very measured and serious tone, “What we want to do is bring manufacturing back to our country.”
After making promises to repeal NAFTA and the TPP, (the latter of which he would repeal early the very next day), global trade deals that have eviscerated the livelihoods of millions of hard-working Americans- one could almost feel a national sigh of relief to hear him say those words.
Mr. Trump correctly stated that he has had great success bringing manufacturing back to the US in his professional life, as well as during his time as the president-elect. He went on to say that his stance on trade and jobs is most likely the reason that he- rather than Hillary Clinton- was sitting at that table.
The feeling of lightness in the room, was palpable. These business leaders, finally able to sit with a president who wants to work for the American worker- and is willing to reward companies who cooperate with him, were visibly relaxed and eager to hear what Donald Trump had to say.
The President went on to explain that he wants to transform America back into the manufacturing giant that it once was- and not to stop there. He spoke of generating a feeling and image of competence and confidence that will make the world look to the United States as a leader in business and manufacturing again. And as a proven success in business and industry, the confidence he exuded inspired the confidence of those in the room.
He made a point that the amount of money companies can save by forgoing all of the massive transport of products from foreign countries to the US today is tremendous. It’s a point that’s been soundly made by everyone from armchair speculators to top business people. And it had the ring of truth when he spoke of it. The simple suggestion that huge amounts of capital can be saved by making products in America is irrefutable.
Having said that, he went on to say that he will be cutting taxes massively for the middle class and for companies that support his vision of restoring the middle class. He then spoke about cutting back on regulation.
Sensitive to the fact that environmentalists would be concerned about losing important protections for the air, land, and water- the President spoke at length about how environmental protections would not be sacrificed. Nevertheless, he spoke quite seriously about how reducing government regulations on business would be a huge boon to business and entrepreneurship.
He spoke of investors and entrepreneurs spending millions to build a factory only to be knocked back again and again by insuperable government fines, fees, and regulations. These factories, he said, were never built- even after millions of dollars of private investment. That, he said, will come to an end.
Just as he promised that regulations to protect the environment will still exist, so will regulations that protect workers and affected populations will still exist- albeit not necessarily in the current form. But regulations that make capable business leaders unable to establish and grow their firms would be done away with.
The President said, “I have people telling me they have more people working on regulation [compliance] than they have developing product. It’s gotten out of control. We can’t have that. When someone wants to put up a factory, it’s going to be expedited.”
The feeling, as President Trump spoke, was one of hope and promise. It was twelve minutes during which one could feel struggling working people all across the country being exalted.
~ Conservative Zone
