General Motors to close plant in Ohio where Trump promised jobs were 'all coming back'

(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

published 26 November 2018

Remarks President Trump made to residents of Lordstown, Ohio, last summer have not aged well.

General Motors is set to cease production at a plant in Lordstown next year as part of a plan to lay off 15 percent of salaried workers in North America, The Washington Post reports. This plant is not far from where Trump held a rally in July 2017 during which he told the crowd that factory jobs in Ohio are "all coming back." He also offered his supporters some advice: "Don't move. Don't sell your house." Trump said the Lordstown community would "fill up those factories or rip them down and build new ones."

After hearing the news of the Lordstown plant's shutdown, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) reminded Trump of his promise on Twitter, urging the president to "keep his word" and saying he "owes this community an explanation." Ryan added that the "massive corporate tax cut" Trump passed clearly did not help the community, a sentiment reflected by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). "Ohio taxpayers rescued GM," Brown wrote, pointing out that GM recently opted to open a new plant in Mexico, "and it's shameful that the company is now abandoning the Mahoning Valley and laying off workers right before the holidays."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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