Trumps says US will no longer be ‘whipping post,’ touts social media use
President Donald Trump is taking tougher stance on companies trying to take advantage of businesses in the United States, he told the FOX Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo during an exclusive interview.
“We lose with almost every country, we have massive deficits. And that is [going to] change, we can't allow the world to look at us as a whipping post. Not [going to] happen, anymore,” Trump said.
His focus on shrinking the $74 billion trade deficit with Mexico within the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has attracted companies such as Ford (NYSE:F), who will pump billions into Michigan’s economy to build three new factories, to invest in the U.S.
“The auto companies are coming back into our country. Coming up to Michigan again, they are going back. We're not going to be taken advantage of. We were taken advantage of -- I wouldn't say the companies so much, but by other countries,” he said.
Trump’s “America First” agenda has also encouraged Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturer of electronics for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and other tech companies, to invest $10 billion in Wisconsin to build a new manufacturing plant.
“As you know we're negotiating with NAFTA. And they have an election right now, and lots of things. But at some point either NAFTA will be renegotiated so that it’s fair to the United States or it will be terminated,” he said.
Trump also weighed in on the importance of social media. He told Bartiromo that he has a “tremendous platform” to promote his agenda and overall message.
“I doubt I would be here if weren't for social media, to be honest with you. Because there is a fake media out there, I get treated very unfairly by the media,” Trump said.