In his opening remarks during the first presidential debate, Republican candidate Donald Trump cited Ford as an example of a company sending U.S. jobs to Mexico.
So Ford is leaving. You see that their small car division [is] leaving. Thousands of jobs leaving Michigan, leaving Ohio. Theyre all leaving. And we cant allow it to happen anymore, he said.
It’s not the first time Trump has cited Ford, commenting on the company’s plans to move production of some cars to its operations to Mexico.
However, this time Ford fired back with an infographic tweet, stating it “has more hourly employees and produces more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker.”
Ford has more hourly employees and produces more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker. pic.twitter.com/k15cqknsvX
Ford Motor Company (@Ford) September 27, 2016
The United Automobile Workers union, which publicly supports Hillary Clinton, also debunked Trump’s claims.
Fact Check: @Ford is not moving jobs out of Michigan. Our agreement secures future product commitments for affected plants. #Debates2016
UAW (@UAW) September 27, 2016
Ford then spent the rest of the evening fact-checking and replying to users.
@Steelerfan7589 #Ford will maintain its U.S. jobs because two new vehicles are planned for Wayne, MI plant beginning in 2018.
Ford Motor Company (@Ford) September 27, 2016
@Plumcrazy909 #Ford will maintain its U.S. jobs because two new vehicles are planned for Wayne, MI plant beginning in 2018.
Ford Motor Company (@Ford) September 27, 2016
@eschulze9 There is no impact on US jobs. Fords American workers will build 2 new vehicles at the US plant where small cars are made today.
Ford Motor Company (@Ford) September 27, 2016
@David_Albertson #Ford will maintain its U.S. jobs because two new vehicles are planned for Wayne, MI plant beginning in 2018.
Ford Motor Company (@Ford) September 27, 2016
Ford employs 85,000 U.S. workers a rise of 50 percent in the last five years.
Earlier in September, Ford’s CEO Mark Fields confirmed the company would migrate all of its small-car production to Mexico over the next two-to-three years.
Ford currently employs 8,800 people in Mexico and the new plant will create 2,800 additional jobs there.
Fields rebutted Trump’s claims that the company plans to move its U.S. operations to Mexico, saying that “not one job will be lost.”
“Most of our investment is here in the U.S. And that’s the way it will continue to be,” he said.
