These are good jobs.
When a building is finished and occupied, or when people are playing on one of my golf courses, or staying at a hotel, we supply the service personnel who keep these businesses running.
More good jobs.
The same thing is true with having my products made in China or Mexico or other countries. Some have attacked me for urging that we complain about these countries at the same time I’m having goods manufactured there.
My response: I’m a realist. I’m a competitor.
When I am working on a business deal, I make the best deal. But we should be changing the business climate so that manufacturers can get the best deal right here in the US. Right now it doesn’t work that way.
We need legislation that gives American companies the tax priorities and financial support to create more of their technology and to redirect more of their manufacturing here at home.
We must stop certain countries from devaluing their currency at the drop of a hat.
We’re the home team, and we should come first.
So how do we get back the jobs we’ve lost to other countries?
Answer: Start by negotiating better trade agreements with our “friendly” partners.
We have to bring jobs back from places like China, Japan, and Mexico. We have to stand up and be tough. In too many ways we’re giving away the greatest market in the world—the American consumer.
Ford recently announced that it’s building a $2.5 billion plant in Mexico. Nabisco is moving a big plant from Chicago to Mexico. A German auto company was all set to build a plant in Tennessee, but then it changed its mind and is building it in Mexico instead.
How does that happen? How many good jobs did we lose in just those two deals? How many more deals like that have slipped through our fingers without our even realizing it? Hundreds, maybe even thousands, but no more!
It’s ridiculous. We all know that the American labor force is the best there is. We just have to allow them to compete.
But we sit there while we’re getting beaten in trade agreements. In my companies, we fight for every deal. We fight for the best price on cleaning materials for the restaurants and the best price for the printing of the labels on our wine bottles.
I fight for my people every day.
Now I am fighting for America. I want our country to start winning again. And we can!
All it takes is a commitment to winning and making “Made in America” a badge of honor just like it used to be.
9
NICE GUYS CAN FINISH FIRST
I’M A NICE GUY. I really am. But I have a nasty habit that most career politicians don’t have: I tell the truth. I’m not afraid to say exactly what I believe. When I’m asked a question, I don’t answer with a speech that ignores a controversial subject. I answer the question.
Sometimes people don’t like my answers. Too bad.
So they attack me. And when someone attacks me, I fight back. Hard.
That has always been my philosophy: If my critics attack me, then I’ll fight back. Let’s be honest and truthful with one another. I’m confident my answer makes the most sense.
You know who really appreciates this approach? The American people.
They’re not used to hearing the truth from politicians, but they love it, and they love hearing it from me.
They have never seen anyone like me in politics. They have never seen anyone who is willing to stand up to the lobbyists, the PACs, the special interests, who all have way too much influence over Washington politicians. I am paying my own way so I can say whatever I want. I will only do what is right for our country, which I love.
Sometimes there is a price I pay for that. Loyalty is extremely important to me. My family and close friends will say that I am loyal to a fault. That’s why, when I announced that I was running, I was very interested to see which of my so-called friends would remain loyal to me.
In politics, 55 percent of the vote is considered a landslide—but that means 45 percent of the people are against you. I’ve never had 45 percent against me. When I went to events, people would cheer, I would hear very few boos or hecklers. But when you run for political office, suddenly you hear some boos in the background. One night, at a charity event where I had made a major contribution, my wife, Melania, was with me as I was cheered loudly. But we were surprised to hear a small number of people booing in the background. Melania said to me, “Darling, do you know what? You’ve never been booed before.” I looked at her and said, “Welcome to the world of politics.”
In fact, I have been surprised by some people I once considered friends. One of my biggest surprises was Macy’s. I’ve had a long and good relationship with the chairman and CEO, Terry Lundgren—a very nice guy and good executive. I’ve sold shirts, ties, cuff links, and fragrances at Macy’s. We’ve done very well. I like the fact that Trump was the only brand that could sell a $50 million apartment and a $37 tie.
Terry Lundgren was a good friend. We spent a lot of time together at Mar-a-Lago and at many Trump golf courses. I’ve introduced him to people who have become good friends of his. I got a call from him in August 2015 when I was receiving a lot of bad press regarding my statements about illegal immigration. I was getting ready to speak to a large crowd in New Hampshire when my cell phone rang. The emcee on the dais had already started introducing me—he was talking about some of my buildings, how well I was doing in the polls. But when I saw Terry—a friend—was calling, I answered.
“Donald, Donald, I have to speak to you,” he said in a rushed and nervous tone. “We’re receiving calls from Mexicans. They’re going to picket Macy’s.”
I said, “That’s no big deal. They’ll be there for an hour.”
“I can’t let this happen,” he said. “It wouldn’t be good for our company’s reputation.”
I told him I was getting ready to make a speech and couldn’t talk to him, but said pointedly, “If you do this, it would truly be an act of disloyalty because you’re getting a little bit of heat over selling my ties and shirts. Aside from that, it wouldn’t make me look very good.”
Terry said, “I’ve got to do something. We’re putting out a press release that we’re terminating you.” Wow, I thought to myself, and this is a company that just paid a massive fine for some terrible acts to its customers. Not nice!
As he read the release the emcee announced my name and the crowd roared. “Wait a second. You’re reading this while I have to speak to this packed house? Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”
“We have to do it now,” he said. “It can’t wait.”
“Wow. What a great act of disloyalty. I’m telling you that if they picket, they’ll be there for an hour. Nobody cares.”
My ties, shirts, cuff links, and fragrances are now available at Trump Tower, not at Macy’s. I’ve been told that many thousands of people cut up their Macy’s credit cards and mailed them back to the store because of this. The public gets it.
I’ve also heard that other companies have stopped doing business with Macy’s. And at least one prominent businessman told me, “I can’t believe how disloyal Terry Lundgren was.” He added jokingly, “He used Mar-a-Lago more than you do!”
Likewise, NBC and Univision refused to broadcast the Miss Universe/Miss USA Pageants. I sued NBC, but settled after buying its half of the company and selling the whole thing to IMG. Currently I am suing Univision for a substantial amount of money.
I’d had a long and very successful relationship with NBC, which made millions broadcasting my top-rated show, The Apprentice. But before this happened I’d told them that if I ran for president, because of the equal-time regulations, I would not be doing the show anymore. The Apprentice had already been renewed and top executives of NBC and Comcast came to my office to try to convince me to change my mind.