Washington, D.C. — Tomorrow, President Donald Trump will travel to Toledo, Ohio, to headline an event at the Huntington Center. In previous trips to the state, Trump promised Ohio families that he would be a champion for working families and “the forgotten man and woman.” He pledged that his administration would bring well-paying jobs to Ohio, lower the costs of prescription drugs, provide affordable health care, and protect insurance for people with preexisting conditions.
In reality, President Trump has failed to deliver on his promises to working Ohio families. The Trump administration’s erratic trade policies have thrown the manufacturing sector in Midwestern states into a recession, and the administration’s tax bill rewarded companies for moving Ohio jobs overseas. To add insult to injury, the Trump administration has sided with drug companies over people with preexisting conditions, giving pharmaceutical companies billions in tax breaks and blocking a bill that would lower prescription drug prices, even as companies such as Pfizer announce plans to raise costs on more than 200 prescription drugs in early 2020.
Learn more about President Trump’s top broken promises to Ohio families here.
Manufacturing jobs
Promise: Trump promised Ohio voters, “I will bring the auto jobs back to America and keep your remaining auto jobs in Ohio.” – Donald Trump in Toledo, Ohio, October 27, 2016
Reality:
- The labor force in the Toledo metro area has shrunk by 0.5 percent since Trump’s inauguration.
- The number of jobs in the Toledo metro area grew by 3.6 percent during former President Barack Obama’s second term. Under Trump’s presidency so far, that figure is a paltry 0.3 percent.
- Since Trump was inaugurated, 6,980 people in the Toledo metro area have been affected by plant closures and mass layoffs, despite Trump’s promises to bring jobs back to the state. These include 572 layoffs from Hyundai Mobis, 852 layoffs from Fiat-Chrysler, and 344 layoffs from KUKA Toledo Production Operations.
- Overall, Ohio is showing signs of economic vulnerability. In November 2019, the state’s unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2 percent from its July low of 4.0 percent.
- The manufacturing sector in Ohio is also showing signs of distress, with total employment down 1 percent from January 2019.
- The national manufacturing sector entered its fifth straight month of contraction in December 2019. The business sentiment index of the Institute for Supply Management’s Chicago Business Barometer reached its lowest level since the second quarter of 2009.
- Despite raking in billions of dollars in profits from the Trump administration’s tax cuts, General Motors is closing its plant in Lordstown, Ohio, leaving autoworkers like Nanette—a 20-year-old employee in Lordstown—jobless. The move will cost the community up to 16,000 jobs.
- Reuters reported that manufacturing in the Midwest is in “contraction.”
Health care
Promise: Trump promised Ohio voters, “You’re going to have great health care at a fraction of the cost.” – Donald Trump in Delaware, Ohio, October 20, 2016
Reality: The Trump administration launched an all-out attack on health care by trying to repeal and sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
- 4.8 million Ohioans with preexisting conditions will lose protections under ACA repeal.
- 741,000 Ohioans will lose their health coverage under ACA repeal.
- The average Ohio family would see a $2,210 annual premium increase under ACA repeal.
Profits and wages
Promise: Trump promised Ohio workers, “My economic plan is going to grow this economy, raise your wages.” – Donald Trump in Akron, Ohio, August 22, 2016
Reality: The Trump administration has taken away safeguards that ensure workers are paid overtime, protect retirees from exploitative financial advisers, and ensure that people pay less at the gas pump. As a result of the administration’s policies, Ohioans have seen:
Taxes
Promise: Trump promised Ohio workers, “We will massively cut taxes for the middle class.” – Donald Trump in Wilmington, Ohio, November 4, 2016
Reality: Most of the Trump administration’s $2 trillion tax cut goes to corporations and the rich. Many Ohio families are getting stuck with the bill.
- 394,770 Ohio families paid more in taxes last year due to the Trump administration’s tax scam.
- The average tax cut for the wealthiest 1 percent of Ohioans is $47,510. Meanwhile, the bottom 80 percent of Ohioans saw just a fraction of that.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Freedom Alexander Murphy at [email protected] or 202-796-9712.