Detroit City Wire

Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, said that President Trump's second term is proving successful for the manufacturing sector as factory jobs are growing through Trump's "on-shoring approach." Cortes shared his statement in a March 24 post on X.

"Bidenomics is over, and Trump 2.0 means that America's entrepreneur president puts citizens to work, literally," said Cortes, President of League of American Workers. "For instance, the latest manufacturing numbers for February show that factory jobs just grew by the biggest jump in 15 months. Unlike his predecessor Joe Biden, who shed manufacturing jobs at a pace of -9,000/jobs per month in 2024, Trump proves the efficacy of his on-shoring approach. Moreover, 93% of the total job gains were in the private sector, rather than budget-busting government bloat positions."

According to Cortes, President Trump’s economic policies are driving a manufacturing surge, marking a contrast to the job losses under Joe Biden. Trump’s focus on on-shoring has resulted in 93% of job gains coming from the private sector rather than government positions. The administration's strategy includes incentivizing domestic production while discouraging companies from offshoring jobs, particularly to adversary nations like China.

Cortes' post on X | X

February’s manufacturing numbers showed the largest factory job growth in 15 months, reversing Biden’s 2024 average loss of 9,000 manufacturing jobs per month, according to a White House press release. "In one month under President Trump, the American economy is soaring back to greatness after the economic calamity left by Joe Biden," said Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary. S&P Global’s U.S. manufacturing survey hit its highest level since June 2022, and the Manufacturing ISM Report returned to growth after 26 months of contraction.

Cortes further mentioned that Trump’s America First Investment Policy is attracting foreign investments, reinforcing the U.S. as a manufacturing leader. Apple announced a $500 billion investment, Taiwan’s TSMC committed $100 billion, and Saudi Arabia pledged $600 billion. America First policies aim to secure supply chains, reducing reliance on nations like China, which restricted exports of critical materials and equipment. "American industries cannot remain reliant on hostile actors for supplies, from agriculture to quantum computing. We especially must be self-sufficient in energy — meaning production, transmission, and energy storage," he said.

Ford’s partnership with Chinese battery giant CATL to produce batteries in Michigan has "clear risks," Cortes said, as CATL has been blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Defense for its ties to the Chinese military. Despite these risks, this deal is part of a broader trend with over 15 Chinese battery projects underway in the U.S., fueled by Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act which funneled taxpayer money into aiding Chinese manufacturers. Cortes said these CCP-affiliated companies present a "trojan horse" style risk placed directly into the U.S. production and electrical grid.

Steve Cortes serves as president of the League of American Workers—a populist right pro-laborer advocacy group—and senior political advisor to Catholic Vote according to X. He is also a former senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance and was previously a commentator for Fox News and CNN.