CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale called out Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota for his false claims about former President Donald Trump’s record on manufacturing jobs. In a Monday appearance on “The View,” Walz accused Trump of setting a record for the most manufacturing job losses, but Dale refuted this statement on “CNN News Central” with host Kate Bolduan.
“It’s not true that the Trump presidency lost more manufacturing jobs than any other presidency,” Dale stated. He went on to explain that under previous presidents like George W. Bush, there were significantly more manufacturing job losses. In fact, Trump ended his presidency with a negative job loss count, but this was largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dale also added that Trump’s record on manufacturing job losses needs to be seen in context, as the pandemic was responsible for the majority of these losses. Prior to the pandemic, the Trump administration had actually seen a gain of more than 400,000 manufacturing jobs.
This is not the first time Walz has made questionable claims, particularly since being announced as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate on Aug. 6. In fact, he has been accused of “stolen valor” by Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, who cited a video posted by the Harris-Walz campaign in which Walz discusses gun control.
Walz’s credibility has also been called into question regarding his claims of being in Hong Kong during the June 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. During the vice presidential debate on Oct. 1, Vance brought up this claim and accused Walz of not only lying but of disrespecting the sacrifices made by soldiers who actually served during that time.
Another controversy surrounding Walz involves his retirement from the Minnesota National Guard in 2005. This was brought to light in 2018 when a Facebook post by retired Army Command Sergeant Major Thomas Behrends resurfaced. Behrends questioned the timing of Walz’s retirement, suggesting that it was timed to avoid deployment to Iraq.
When it comes to the Trump administration, Walz and other Democrats have made a habit of twisting the facts to fit their narrative. Trump’s record on manufacturing jobs is a prime example of this, as Dale himself pointed out on CNN. It’s important to look at the facts and context when discussing the former president’s performance, rather than simply spouting false information to further political agendas.