Thread: AFL-CIO Pres: ‘Probably Every’ Union Member Says ‘Amen’ After Hearing Donald Trump

AFL-CIO Pres: ‘Probably Every’ Union Member Says ‘Amen’ After Hearing Donald Trump Blast Unfair Trade Deals

by Tony Lee7 Sep 2015

In remarks that show how much Donald Trump may resonate with Reagan Democrats in a general election, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka conceded that probably all of his union members say “amen” when they hear Donald Trump blasting unfair trade deals that hurt American workers.

On Sunday, Meet The Press host Chuck Todd asked Trumka, “how many of your members hear Donald Trump talk about bad trade deals and say ‘amen?'”

Trumka responded that “probably every one that hears him say it’s a bad trade deal… they say amen that bad trade deals are bad for the country.”

Trumka mentioned that those on the left like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have also spoken out against deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which Trump has fiercely opposed. The deal would undermine American sovereignty and potentially even allow a multinational body to rewrite some of America’s immigration laws.

Trumka also singled out Hillary Clinton for not taking a firm stance against the TPP. Clinton has tried to have it both ways on the TPP, and Trumka said that “if she doesn’t take a position on TPP, then you can say she is looking for our vote. If she does take a position on TPP, then she’s looking for our support.”

“The difference is if you get my vote, I come out on election day and pull the lever,” Trumka said. “If you’ve got my support, I get up at seven o’clock in the morning, I stuff 200 envelopes, I make seven calls, I go knock on a few doors, I get my neighbors all excited about voting for her as well. That’s what’s at stake for her.”

Trump has repeatedly said on the stump that smarter foreign negotiators have taken advantage of America’s “stupid” politicians in trade negotiations. He has said that since he knows the “greatest negotiators in the world,” he would have them negotiate trade deals on behalf of American workers. Trump has promised that other countries would not have a chance if they were dealing with the likes of Carl Ichan.

Trump’s candidacy has resonated with the so-called silent majority specifically because he supports trade deals and immigration laws that put American workers of all backgrounds first. Trump is currently leading Clinton in one national poll and doing better than Republicans have in the past with Democrats, especially non-white Democrats. Trump’s opposition to unfair trade deals and his pro-American worker immigration plan may compel enough blue-collar Democrats who could not pull the lever for Mitt Romney to consider his candidacy, especially against someone like Clinton who supports massive amnesty legislation (and waffled on unfair trade deals) that would hurt their interests.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...r-trade-deals/

If this has been posted already, I apologize, but I didn't remember it and couldn't find it. I think this is a remarkable statement by Trumpka. I wish the members would force support of the man they know will actually do something these bad trade deals, and that's Donald Trump. But it sounds like they'll go with Sanders instead of Trump if they don't go with Hillary.

Stay Tuned.

When you say "amen", geez you ought to support the person who is telling you the truth who has the ability to deliver a better result. Bernie won't be able to renegotiate these deals. He was part of the Senate all these years as they were passed. If he couldn't stop them in the Senate, the body that actually controls whether we have these treason agreements or not, then what can he do as President where he has far less power over the agreements? Trump knows how to leverage and re-negotiate, Bernie doesn't have that experience or skill-set.

Trumka mentioned that those on the left like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have also spoken out against deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which Trump has fiercely opposed. The deal would undermine American sovereignty and potentially even allow a multinational body to rewrite some of America’s immigration laws.

Could it be that Union leadership is feeling the heat from members in the same way that Congress is feeling it from constituents?

Trump is hitting them hard!

Originally Posted by Newmexican

Could it be that Union leadership is feeling the heat from members in the same way that Congress is feeling it from constituents?

Absolutely! I posted articles with comments by the leaders of the Teamsters and Communication Workers of America who stated unequivocally that the possibility of endorsing Trump was purely based on demands from their grassroots members. And now we have the AFL-CIO basically saying the same thing. These are people we desperately need back in the Republican Party, because while we may not all agree on everything most unions want, for example while I support unions, I also support Right to Work laws, we need these organized workers who fight for jobs, wages and benefits because that is the only way we have ever improved our standard of living in the United States.

Members have been betrayed by the split dichotomy of immigration and trade. Democrats support immigration and oppose free trade treason, while Republican oppose immigration (at least on the surface) but support free trade treason. Neither party should support either immigration or free trade treason. Both are destroying our nation.

Trump is the only person in the race who truly understands this, he's the only one who will fight like hell to stop both, and he's the only one capable of dealing effectively with the forces, most of them foreign elements who have our politicians on the take from drug cartels to foreign governments and their proxies, who are behind this disaster.

These two issues along with the income tax problem have rotted the core of what binds our fragile Republic together. So until we reverse all three, the immigration, the free trade treason and the income tax, we will continue to splinter until we sink.

I like many things Trump has to say but I worry about his sincerity.

Originally Posted by artclam

I like many things Trump has to say but I worry about his sincerity.

Why, artclam? Donald Trump has wanted to stop this immigration and free trade mess since the 80's, it's why he would get so frustrated when no one would do anything to stop it, he would think well, hell I'll have to do it and would think about running for President to do it, then someone would come out and say they were going to do it, then he'd back out and let them run, then they never did anything but make it worse. That is the only reason he's in this race to begin with. At 69, I'm sure there are plenty of other ways he would like to spend his time than battling with dishonest reporters and stupid opponents and crazy leaders and mullahs and clerics and Monarchs and Socialists and Commies the world over. But also at 69 having watched this mess develop since the 80's, he knows he's the only one, The Only One, who understands these problems well enough and who cares enough about the American people and our nation to actually do anything about it.

He may not get everything he wants, he has to work with a stupid vile corrupt Congress, and unpredictable courts, and foreign elements so evil it makes one's head want to explode, but he will do everything imaginable plus to prevail over them and save our country.

He's not like these other guys who basically are unemployed or soon to be with no businesses or money of their own, so they are looking for a better job, a higher pay scale, a nicer home, that's really why they're in the race to improve their own lives and careers, riding high on donor money and then repaying the favors once they're in office, regardless of what lies or false promises they made to the people during a campaign to win.

Trump already makes 15 times what this job pays, he's already got 5 or 6 homes nicer than the White House, far nicer, and he has a full and busy life doing what he loves right where he is.

So he's not in this race to improve his life like the rest of them, he's in this race to improve ours.