2020 State of the Union address: on Free Trade


Donald Trump: Fact-Check: Union support for USMCA was mixed

President Trump said, "The USMCA will create nearly 100,000 new high-paying American auto jobs, and massively boost exports for our farmers, ranchers, and factory workers. This is the first major trade deal in many years to earn the strong backing of America's labor unions."

Fact -Check: Support for USMCA among labor unions was mixed. While the AFL-CIO backed the agreement, others did not. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the United Auto Workers all expressed disappointment over the deal.

Source: NPR Fact-Check on 2020 State of the Union address Feb 4, 2020

Donald Trump: Fact-Check:USMCA mostly a cosmetic refreshing of NAFTA

President Trump said, "One of the single biggest promises I made to the American people was to replace the disastrous NAFTA trade deal. I replaced NAFTA and signed the brand new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) into law. The USMCA will create nearly 100,000 new high-paying American auto jobs, and massively boost exports for our farmers, ranchers, and factory workers."

Fact -Check: The agreement updates NAFTA, covering things such as digital commerce, which barely existed when the original deal was signed a quarter-century ago. But despite the president's claims, USMCA is mostly a cosmetic refreshing of NAFTA, not a wholesale replacement. On the whole, the USMCA's economic effects are expected to be modest. The main benefit of the deal is that it avoids the disruption that would have come had Trump made good on his threat to scrap NAFTA with no replacement.

Source: NPR Fact-Check on 2020 State of the Union address Feb 4, 2020

Donald Trump: We said "that's enough" to China & signed new trade deal

I promised that I would impose tariffs to confront China's massive theft of American jobs. We signed the new agreement with China that will defend our workers, protect our intellectual property, bring billions of dollars into our treasury, and open new markets. They could never believe what they were able to get away with without someone in our country stepping up and saying: Enough. Now, we want to rebuild our country, and that is what we are doing.
Source: 2020 State of the Union address to Congress Feb 4, 2020

  • The above quotations are from 2020 State of the Union address to Congress, plus the Democratic responses, Feb. 4, 2020.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Free Trade.
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  • Click here for more quotes by Donald Trump on Free Trade.
  • Click here for more quotes by Nancy Pelosi on Free Trade.
2016 Presidential contenders on Free Trade:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI) 		Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
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Page last updated: Dec 17, 2023