Former Vice President Joe Biden spent 44 years as a career politician putting the People’s Republic of China first and America second. Moreover, his constant advocacy for China and support for NAFTA came at great costs for black workers.
Biden’s record is in stark contrast to four years of President Trump’s bold leadership of putting Americans first, being tough on China, and making the black community a priority through trade deals such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that is now in effect.
Manufacturing jobs have historically been the bedrock of many cities. They have been the way a great many people provide for their children and offered comfortable, middle-class lives in states such as Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Biden was a prominent cheerleader for China to enter into the World Trade Organization, a move that resulted in a loss of 60,000 U.S. factories. Those were real jobs, wages, hopes, dreams, and futures, gone because he put China’s interests ahead of domestic workers and businesses. Leaders who do not understand and value manufacturing jobs do not understand and value black workers. Biden is one of those leaders.
Trump has not only been a champion for the black community on domestic issues such as opportunity zones, criminal justice reform, education choice, and supporting historically black colleges and universities, but he has been a champion on the global stage through trade deals, including USMCA.
USMCA is projected to add well over half a million jobs, which we desperately need, as well as provide a $235 billion injection of economic activity. This trade deal is a much better deal for workers than the outdated North American Free Trade Agreement, which also led to the mass exodus of manufacturing jobs.
For the black community, USMCA could not come at a better time. Keeping NAFTA in place would have meant a continued exodus of trade-connected jobs and opportunities. It took great leadership and vision to make this trade deal happen. Trump was able to bring Mexico and Canada to the negotiating table and to have support from the entire bipartisan Georgia congressional delegation because they knew the Trump administration was putting Americans first.
Speaking of USMCA, Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat who is no friend of the president, said on the House floor, “Twenty-six years ago I opposed NAFTA with every bone in my body. I never thought that today would come, when we would have the opportunity to right some of the wrongs in that agreement.”
In 2016, the Alliance For American Manufacturing published its report “Unmade in America: Industrial Flight and The Decline of Black Communities,” vindicating Lewis and Trump’s shared opposition to NAFTA. One of the main takeaways was that “manufacturing in the 20th century allowed black workers, often for the first time, to begin to build wealth, create vibrant communities, and move into the middle class.” Replacing NAFTA with USMCA will result in a rekindling of those benefits for the black workforce.
Ron Busby of the U.S. Black Chambers also praised the trade deal, saying, “The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement modernizes the previous trade agreement and will allow black-owned businesses to be more competitive across borders.” He also endorsed its positive impact on black entrepreneurship in an op-ed for the Atlanta Tribune.
There is no doubt that a Biden administration would threaten the black community with joblessness and economic ruin, no matter how hard the sell is from his Delaware basement. He is not interested in really putting black businesses first, as seen in his support of horrible policies such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and, of course, NAFTA.
According to the liberal Center for American Progress, “Black people represent 12.3% of manufacturing workers overall, they comprise 16.7% of motor vehicle and motor vehicle equipment manufacturers and 17.4% of tire manufacturers — both industries that have been vulnerable to the accelerated growth of auto component production alternatives in other countries.”
Under the USMCA, 75% of auto content must be made in North America, including 40% to 45% of auto content by workers making at least $16 an hour. Additionally, there is a potential for 76,000 new jobs in the automotive industry, spurring $34 billion in new auto investments and $23 billion in auto parts purchases annually.
At a time when black citizens needed more opportunities, Biden was missing in action, building wealth, jobs, and a strong middle and upper-middle class for other countries. He refused then, refuses now, and will refuse in the future to put America first, which means he will continue to put black Americans last.
Thankfully, Trump will always put Americans first, fight for the forgotten, enact smart trade policies such as USMCA, and create opportunities for jobs and economic growth in the black community.
Paris Dennard is a GOP political commentator, strategist, and Senior Communications Advisor for Black Media Affairs at the Republican National Committee. Follow him on Twitter at @PARISDENNARD.
