Reality TV star Donald Trump has urged Americans to buy less “crap” from China. Salon’s Justin Elliott wonders whether that includes the Donald J. Trump Signature Collection of mid-range, Chinese-made business attire:
Trump has long complained about Chinese currency “manipulation” and has called for a large tariff on imports of products from China in order to bolster U.S. manufacturing. But he has also gone further, urging Americans to buy fewer products from China, claiming that Chinese goods are shoddy and maintaining that, in his own business dealings, he favors American manufacturing over Chinese manufacturing.
All of which makes it a little strange that Trump’s own brand of clothing is made in China ….
Here’s a typical Trump exchange on China from a year ago on Fox with Neil Cavuto (via Nexis):
TRUMP: And you know, again, the problem with our country is we don’t manufacture anything anymore, I mean, very little. China is doing — I just bid furniture out on a major project I’m doing, and I have six bids. Every bit of furniture is being made from China. The one from America is more expensive because of all the other problems that have been caused by us. So you know, if…
CAVUTO: Well, why wouldn’t you give — even though it’s expensive, why wouldn’t you give the American company the job?
TRUMP: I did.
CAVUTO: You did?
TRUMP: I have to tell you, I did, because you know what? They actually make a much better product. I mean, the product is 100 percent better. The product, the stuff that’s been sent over from China is — it falls apart after a year and a half. It’s crap.
