GM Layoffs, Tariffs, and Subsidies

Over at Fox Business, I explore three lessons policy makers should learn from General Motors’ announcement of 14,700 layoffs and five plant closures:

One, GM is being too shy about the reasons for the layoffs. President Trump’s tariffs have already cost the company a billion dollars. GM is skirting the topic, possibly to avoid political blowback—a strategy that is already not working.

Two, President Trump is right to want to end GM’s government subsidies, but for the wrong reasons.

Three, contrary to popular belief, U.S. manufacturing is healthy, despite GM’s bad news.

On that third point, real value-added manufacturing output recently set an all-time record, eclipsing the old mark set in 2007. As is often the case, popular fears are unfounded. Read the whole thing here.