The president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday signaled that the big-business community is still undecided between newly minted Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. Chamber President Tom Donohue’s statements to Fox Business News on Wednesday morning represented an astonishing break from the organization’s nearly invariable support for Republican candidates.
“Trump talks about some important things in energy and taxes and financial areas,” Donohue said. “Hillary perhaps has more experience and businessmen like that — businessmen and women like that — but I don’t think that’ll be decided until you hear the speeches here and next week and you see the first debate, and I think people will start to move more clearly to where they’re going to vote.”
Chief among Donohue’s complaints about Trump was his opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
“We need a trade deal that opens markets for us,” Donohue complained. “I like where he says we’ve got to get a little tougher on some of the fulfillment. But you want to stop trade? You want to get rid of NAFTA? NAFTA is 14 million jobs in the United States.”
The Chamber spent tens of millions of dollars backing GOP candidates and attacking President Barack Obama during the 2010 and 2012 election cycles. Although the organization remains supportive of congressional Republicans, it has clashed with Trump over international trade agreements. Trump has said the Chamber should “fight harder” for workers.
Donohue has also suggested that presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton would implement the TPP — a major chamber priority — despite her current position of opposing the agreement.
In a blog post on Monday, Donohue asked of both candidates: “Will they promote an agenda to support jobs, growth, and prosperity? Or will they advance more of the same failed policies that have delivered slow growth, the lowest labor participation rate ever, and falling incomes?” And he noted, “U.S. businesses are coming under attack from the left and the right.”
The Chamber has been almost invisible at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Top photo: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce building in Washington, D.C.;”US Chamber of Commerce Building” by Almonroth using CC BY-SA 3.0.
Of course they prefer her to DJT. Trump’s not just going to succeed in getting any nation to agree to renegotiate their trade agreements, and then the sociopath is going to cancel them, giving the global economic credit raters their chance to tank America’s rating; to which every G-20 nation, to whom we owe trillions, will call up the debts. Trump in return will demand our loans be repaid, which will further erode our international relationships with developing nations as well. Trump will repay nothing, claiming European & Asian nations still owe us for WWII, but he’ll threaten developing nations to repay theirs and take insane action against them to force it, which will take us to war. All of this will be good for no ones pocketbook except those who build war machines. The international monetary system is crap, set-up to manipulate all nations, but taking drastic actions against it without a plan of replacement will not help anyone; least of all American workers. People need not be sucked into the idea that Capitalism is bad; what we see in the world today is not Capitalism, but Global Cronyism and Bankerism. Genuine honest Capitalism is the only means to living in a free democracy where people have the opportunity to determine their own lot in life and aren’t born into a class under the rule of kings & emperors. Socialism has never succeeded because no one chooses to be the hard worker if they end up with the same to show for it that the lazy receive. It only works temporarily while there are still rich men to pillage and some shared enemy that provides patriotic drive to the workers. Once those are gone, so too is all shared prosperity.
Who cares abou CofC?
They speak for no one but illegal aliens
Just 1 more reason I dropped my company’s membership in the US Chamber this year.
This should be a litmus test. Can any real Democrat favor a candidate with a record such as the harpy’s? She is an unconvicted war criminal based on her role in Libya and Syria. Her position on globalist “trade” initiatives betrays the public interest and the rule of law. Her views on banking and even Social Security are well to the right of Trump’s and his foreign policy views are less dangerous than hers.
Task for next week: make lil’ ol’ Her—> explicitly restate her unwillingness to support the TPP. Follow up question: even though the people on the platform committee you appointed would not approve opposition to the TPP? Oh yeah. And even though the Chamber of Commerce doesn’t seem to believe you when you said you were against it? Oh yeah.
Make her tell the lie, make her make her make her.
Thats right Carrier moved something like 1400 jobs overseas, Oreo moved 600 jobs to Mexico, Ford something like 2300 jobs to Mexico. All under the guise of free trade or preferred nation trade status.
So where are these 14 million jobs that NAFTA is responsible for.
NAFTA was also instrumental in turning a multi-billion dollar annual trade surplus with Mexico( $3 billion pre-NAFTA) into a much larger multi-billion dollar trade deficit ($58 billion at last count). How exactly does this benefit the American economy?
Why would they not? Trump harder to bribe or blackmail, already got plenty money, immune to shame. No fan of either candidate. I believe both will fail as President. Trump will just be more direct about it and easier to counter and/or convict. After either the changing of the old guard, all ready started both parties, will evolve for better or worse, choose wisely 2020.
I meant, the “employee free choice act”…duuuh.
What well paid Union Auto jobs the USA had moved to the low paid, non union south; many others went to Mexico. (note Obama did nothing to get the employee free trade act passed) Canada lost half it’s Auto industry and we went from the sociopathic conbot PM to the nice feminist with the good hair who carried on the European FT agreement and can’t wait to sign the TPP. IMHO, our elites have become the enemy of the working class. Whether it’s bums like Bill or GW or classy guys like Obama; when it comes to economics you might as well elect Lloyd Blankfein who pulls the strings anyway. The more I see Hillary, the more I like Trump and I never thought I would say that.
Institutions are slow to change, even as the world changes around them.
The Banksters, the Neocons, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, etc. all oppose Trump and support Hillary Clinton.
I may end up voting Republican.
14 million jobs and 250 LOST? Do the math Donohue. Detroit used to be the largest manufacturing city of the globe– yea, not like that now, thank car-afta! Youdonot need that to trade, TPP is designed to keep the usdpetrodollar as world currency within thise zones and keep china out!
It is like Satan is thumbing his nose to God and calling out “And you thought I could not destroy this place”. With one wave of his demonic hand he shows God what he has accomplished; environmental destruction, endless global war, poverty, suffering, vampires in control of healthcare, enslavement by usury, rape ridden prisons for profit, our youth placed in a state of indentured servitude not seen since before the American Revolution due to student loan debt, and to top it all off I offer to the people a choice between two of the most despicable beings possible to lead the most powerful nation on earth.
“Please allow me to introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste……
I rode a tank,
held a general’s rank,
when the blitzkrieg raged
and the bodies stank
I shouted out,
‘Who killed the Kennedys’
when, after all, it was you and me….
….Just as
every cop is a criminal
and ALL the sinners, saints,
as heads is tails,
just call me Lucifer
’cause I’m in need of some restraint!……”
I believe the expression is ..nailed it! and to think there are at least 2 “saviors” out there this election cycle (Bernie and jill). perhaps these are the end times. I can think of no better examples of an “antichrist” than shillary and Donald.
my hope is that before shillary is nominated the doj will have an awakening and actually do their job. I realize we are running out of time for that miracle. may god have mercy on us.
This one from Donahue wins the spin award:
“You want to get rid of NAFTA? NAFTA is 14 million jobs in the United States.”
14 million jobs shipped out of the United States to sweatshop zones to save Wall Street on labor costs, he means. The only other people who claimed that NAFTA would create jobs were a handful of ‘free market economists’ who said that in the early 1990s, based on bogus ‘econometric modeling’ studies.
I was also going to comment on that lie, you beat me to it. Regardless of how many LOW-PAYING jobs NAFTA has provided, it has cost many well-paying ones. And of course, being a greedhead businessman, Dohahue doesn’t even consider the extreme environmental harms from transporting goods long distances instead of keeping commerce local.
It is hard to imagine how anyone could be as dense and delusional
as Tom Donohue.
He doesn’t seem to have a clue that it is
his beliefs and agenda
which are damaging all of the things he
seems to think
he is concerned about.
Truly, he is an “exceptional” example of “american” “exceptionalism!
You could have a more intelligent conversation with a rotting log.
**********************************************************************
For clarity’s sake,
I do very much admire the benefits of rotting logs.
Public disapproval of politicians can often be traced to journalists. This statement subtly insinuates that Mrs. Clinton is likely to flip-flop on the TPP. This is untrue. Mrs. Clinton’s public position is one of opposition to the TPP, but she has consistently assured the business community that she will ultimately support it. So her position has been, and will continue to be, consistent.
Journalists make a great show of being fawning lapdogs. But they cleverly try to undermine the public’s confidence in its leaders. As a result, institutions such as Congress score very low in popularity polls. However, I’d like to give them a vote of confidence. Politicians don’t generally flip-flop; they just follow the money.
So, what you are saying is that Hillary Clinton is lying. Again.
Right?
You can’t figure out his sarcasm from his name?
Donald is the Democrat, Hillary is the Republican.
Same difference for Wall Street.
The game was made for the TPA(Trans Promotional Authority) and it was passed so either Obama or the next president(at the time of passage Donald Trump nor Bernie were expected to be any influence or part of the picture) would pass this trade deal.
To the chamber it matters not about the workers at all only today, and that is Hillary because she will not veto it, unless she made a deal with Elizabeth Warren and or Bernie Sanders for support.(one doubts it).
Am betting, if not done already,the chamber will endorse Hillary because of this trade deal and she will gladly accept the support. We lose again!
Said before this is #1 issue for corporate money. Everything else is foreground noise. I see HRC as obviously in the TPP camp inspite of any public statement to the contrary. We will see about Trump. Just follow the money.
Clinton is clearly lying about opposing the TPP. Trump has no credibility on anything, but he’s been opposed to these trade deals for a long time, so there’s an infinitely better chance of him stopping the TPP than of Clinton stopping it, the latter chance being zero.
They seem as convinced that she’s a corporatist as I am. This whole arrow “pointing to the right” thing…
I’m so tired of listening to moronic business critters, economists and politicians of nearly all persuasions refer to growth as a good thing.
Growth is one of the principal elements that are destroying the planet. And, in a world of increasing population, permanent energy and resource shortages, and a mania to develop ever more-complex technologies, endless growth is not only impossible, the very notion is simply idiotic.
Doug, yes” Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”
When one discovers they have cancer and have a sense of what it actually is “one’s body turning against itself” it is very upsetting and perplexing. If one attributes that his or her destructive habits may have significantly contributed to the disease it is particularly distressing.
Mankind’s greed, foolishness, lack of balance and harmony are the cancers that may free Mother Earth from its demise by cutting down on the human population destroying it
That’s actually true — if we don’t launch too many of the nukes during the resource wars.
It’s too bad. I thought the humans created some pretty nice, art, literature and music and I was hoping they’d be smart enough not to destroy themselves through greed and stupidity.
Alas. Our ate may be glimpsed by studying the reindeer on St. Matthew Island.
“Our fate. . .”
I fully agree and also think this when reading or hearing people worship growth. The biggest problem on our planet is human overpopulation (and human population is still growing in most countries, unfortunately), followed closely by human overconsumption — which includes consuming things that we should not, like fossil fuels — which is the growth to which you refer. We need to greatly shrink in both numbers and consumption, or we will destroy life as we know it on Earth.
It may already be too late, but we should try our best to avoid this in the hope that it’s not too late. Limit your family to one kid max — best to have none — organize your life so you don’t have to drive regularly and get rid of your car, put solar panels on your roof, etc. We didn’t get into this mess overnight and we’re not getting out of it overnight either, but we need to start moving in the right direction immediately.
Re the remark concerning Hillary’s position on TTP, here is a chronology:
As Secretary of State she worked toward its implementation, and said she supported it, but
On the campaign trail a few months ago, probably in response to pressure to counter Bernie Sanders, she said she was opposed to it, but
When the matter came up in determining the democrat party platform, her delegates along with those of the DNC adopted a plank in favor of it.
We can be quite sure that she will continue the waffling, until such time that she has the power to act, at which time she will adhere to the wishes of her most important supporters and implement the treaty. I would be willing to bet money on that. Any takers?
lol.
she once mentioned that there were “some things” she didn’t like about it. The “some things” imo she will lie-fully dismiss or, keep them in trade for a form for “oh those complaining citizens” to fill out and send in under penalty of law $50,000 fine 5 years in prison for undotted i’s or uncrossed t’s.
Hillary is positively UNAMERICAN. Americans need to wake the f up and realise that voting for her is like shooting your kids.
Unfortunately the TPP is like they say is “As American as Apple Pie”.
If I had a dollar I would bet that she supports the TPP and is lying.
Because this is what Hillary Clinton does best. Lies.
Since when is The Intercept_ in the business of speculation on hypothetical political decisions?
Seems you folks are doing everything, as of late, to put a bad slant on Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency. Sad to see.
Naked partisan BS for the hillaryous one.
I’m with her,the criminal.blech.
The Chamber of Commerce?Do you mean the clowns who destroyed main street into a toxic nail salon and vacant store strip?
More globalist race to the bottom profit seeking crud.
You might be A. Citizen, but you’re not a very well informed citizen. This article is actually more negative towards HILLARY CLINTON, because by pointing out that the pro-corporate Chamber of Commerce is seriously considering supporting her, they are calling into question the progressive credentials of Hillary and the DNC.
Personally, my response to Hillary Clinton, the DNC, and progressive/left-wing credentials is, “What credentials?” Hence why I have been a member of the Green Party since 2012.
This illustrates one of my serious reservations about democracy: as we practice it, you don’t have to know anything about anything, or even have basic reading comprehension, in any language, to be able to vote; you just have to be A. Citizen.
Of course, on of my other major reservations is that our “democracy” is a near-total sham, but that’s another story. ;^(
Churchill:;
“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. Winston Churchill”
Read more at: http://mobile.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/winstonchu105424.html
Democracy is the worst form of Government…” He said it (House of Commons, 11 November 1947)—but he was quoting an unknown predecessor. From Churchill by Himself, 574: Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe.Jun 26, 2009
I like that Obama moved wins tons statue.
Cheers
Me too. From Galipoli to Norway, everything he touched failed. He was the first to terror bomb civilians in Iraq; was in favor of gassing the “wogs”. A real Victorian imperialist. But for him and the Americans listening to him WWII would have been over months sooner and less of eastern Europe would have been left under Stalin who he actually sat down with to divide up the spoils. He is a hero…not.
“Chamber of Commerce May Prefer Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump”
That headline puts the Intercept in the business of political speculation. And isn’t it funny how the article so deviates from the headline?
You’re welcome Mr. Salzmann.
What business did you think The Intercept was in?
Reporting political facts, and allowing their news headline to compliment their story line.
(you’re welcome) Don’t mention it.
nah.
hillary has no visible fans that i have seen. she is a backyard mechanic with no tools and takes advice from a barking dog who just wants to be fed.
Donald is somewhat scary but he will not allow America to be gobbled up by wallstreet’s next big fraudulent enterprise.
Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, need to be in the debates.