Donald Trump’s Bogus Jobs Number
Donald Trump was off by a long shot on Wednesday when he said in his press conference that 96 million people in the United States wanted to work and could not find jobs.
For a moment, it was possible to believe he had misspoken — 9.6 million would be in the ballpark. But as soon as “96 million” came out of his mouth, he underscored it to show he meant it. “You know that story,” he said. “The real number — that’s the real number.”
There are not now and never have been 96 million people in the United States out of work and looking for jobs. There are currently 7.5 million unemployed job seekers and another 2.3 million jobless people who aren’t currently looking for a job, but probably would be if they thought they would find one.
Ninety-six million is about the number of Americans, age 16 and older, who are students, retirees, disabled, stay-at-home parents or otherwise not in the workforce. To say, as Mr. Trump did, that it is the number of unemployed job seekers is clearly wrong. But why didn’t the number jump out at him as impossibly huge? One answer may be that he is so invested in his narrative about the nation’s disastrous conditions – the narrative in which he is the savior – that he thoughtlessly accepts and repeats anything that appears to confirm that storyline.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/opinion/donald-trumps-bogus-jobs-number.html?_r=0
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Yes, that wasn't the smartest thing to say. However, Obama said there was 57 states. Here is his exact words. As reported by Reuters, Obama was howdying a crowd in Beaverton, Ore., on May 9, 2008, when he said: "It is wonderful to be back in Oregon. Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states. I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it." Gaffes are made all the time, every politician has done it. I never read too much into it. Facts get mixed up, words come out wrong. It happens. He was also "bogus" when he said: "It's already happening! Ford and Chrysler are building new cars in America!" YEA ME! (paraphrasing). These projects started about 3 years ago, before anyone knew of PEOTUS, Donald Trump! He will take credit for Obama's recovering economy, he was left with, at any opportunity ... ANY opportunity! Has he told the truth about ANYTHING yet?? (Anything worthwhile?) When he experiences his, What?, fifth bankruptcy(?) (America), he WILL give Obama "credit" for that! Also, when one looks at one's hands and thinks "impossibly huge", one can "misinterpret" other things as " impossibly huge". That only shows that recognizing "huge" is, maybe, a personal thing like an "impossibly huge" ego. ;-) |
