Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump took aim at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Wednesday morning over trade a day after his speech on the issue in Western Pennsylvania.
In a pair of tweets, Trump wondered openly why the Chamber of Commerce would be upset with him wanting to make better trade deals with other nations, adding that the group needs to “fight harder for the American worker.”
The @USCHAMBER must fight harder for the American worker. China, and many others, are taking advantage of U.S. with our terrible trade pacts
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2016
Why would the USChamber be upset by the fact that I want to negotiate better and stronger trade deals or that I want penalties for cheaters?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2016
Trump was responding to the group’s rebuttal to his speech Tuesday afternoon, which took place in real time as the chamber fired back at various statements by the real estate mogul almost instantly — particularly those about the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“Trade is no panacea. Some workers lose their jobs to international competition, just as technological change and shifting consumer tastes regularly put some manufacturers out of business,” wrote John G. Murphy, the group’s senior vice president for international policy, in a post. “It’s appropriate for the federal government to provide these workers with training and transition assistance — and of a better quality than current federal programs.”
“But contrary to rumor, the benefits of trade greatly outweigh the costs,” he wrote. “In fact, trade has been a lifeline for many more workers in Pennsylvania and Ohio — especially in the wake of the recession.”
During his speech earlier Tuesday, Trump threatened to pull the U.S. out of NAFTA and vowed to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, all the while railing against globalism and its effect on the American worker.
