CHINA/DEMS/FTC/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A strange dynamic has gripped the Federal Trade Commission: President Trump’s biggest allies are the Democrats. In a vote made public Wednesday [4-17-19], the commission’s two Democratic appointees voted to impose financial penalties on companies the agency found violated federal law by falsely marketing their products as ‘Made in America’ when, in fact, most of their merchandise was manufactured in China. But the three Republican commissioners — all appointed by Mr. Trump — overruled them and voted against imposing any fines or penalties at all. They said the companies should not be required to admit any wrongdoing or notify customers of their false marketing, arguing that the threat of future penalties served as a strong enough deterrent to prevent a repeat offense. The vote, which took place on Tuesday [4-16-19], broke along party lines — just not necessarily the expected ones. Since the 2016 election, Mr. Trump has promoted himself as the man who will resuscitate American manufacturing and jobs. In April 2017, he signed a ‘Buy American and Hire American’ executive order, with the goal of promoting American-made goods ‘to ensure that American labor is hired to do the job.’”
–Annie Karni, “On ‘Made in America,’ Trump’s F.T.C. Appointees May Be Out of Step With Him,” The New York Times online, April 17, 2019