Page 12 - MIN SOC
P. 12
A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 29 december 2016
Trump takes credit for 8,000
jobs from Japanese mogul
earlier in December. est technology outfits. He tion if he’d been running.
In the grand scheme of owns the U.S. mobile car- “Doing my best to disre-
the economy, the jobs an- rier Sprint, which Trump gard the many inflam-
nouncement is unlikely to said Wednesday would be matory President O state-
have a major impact. Still, moving 5,000 jobs “back” ments and roadblocks,”
it’s another example of to the United States. Son Trump tweeted Wednes-
how Trump is trying to stoke also controls OneWeb, day morning. “Thought it
voters’ belief that he is ac- which Trump said would was going to be a smooth
tively fighting for their well- hire 3,000 workers. transition — NOT!”
being. It was unclear whether the Later, however, journal-
The announcement came president-elect was refer- ists at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
during a whirlwind day encing the Dec. 6 commit- resort in Florida asked him
in which Trump accused ment by Son to invest $50 about the tweet and how
President-elect Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Mar-a-La- President Barack Obama billion in the United States he thought the transition
go, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016, in Palm Beach, Fla. of throwing up “inflamma- and create 50,000 jobs.
Associated Press tory” roadblocks during Trump said the addition of was going.
He said: “I think very, very
VIVIAN SALAMA anese mogul to bring 8,000 the transition of power and 8,000 jobs was “because of smoothly. It’s very good.
Associated Press jobs to the United States. said his administration was what’s happening and the You don’t think so?”
JOSH BOAK They could be the first of treating Israel with “total spirit and the hope.” Even later Wednesday,
Associated Press the 50,000 jobs tech billion- disdain.” Still, the U.S. job market Trump told reporters he
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — aire Masayoshi Son prom- Son is the founder and has been robust for much had spoken by phone with
Donald Trump on Wednes- ised to create after meet- chief executive of Soft- of 2016. Employers have Obama and said the two
day touted plans by a Jap- ing with the president-elect Bank, one of Japan’s larg- added more than 2.2 mil- “had a very nice conver-
lion jobs over the past 12 sation.”
months — a sign of eco- White House spokesman
nomic health that pre- Eric Schultz said Obama
dates Trump’s presidential phoned Trump. “Today’s
victory. call, like the others since
Sprint has struggled since the election, was positive
its 2013 acquisition by and focused on continu-
SoftBank. The carrier shed ing a smooth and effective
roughly 9,000 workers be- transition,” Schultz said.
tween 2012 and 2016, re- “The president and presi-
ducing its staff to 30,000, dent-elect committed to
according to annual re- staying in touch over the
ports. next several weeks.”
Sprint’s attempt to join Trump also took direct issue
with rival T-Mobile failed in with the Obama admin-
2014 after regulators ob- istration’s decision to let
jected to combining two a United Nations Security
of the four largest mobile Council resolution critical
telecom companies in the of Israel pass.
United States. Analysts say “We cannot continue to
a Trump administration let Israel be treated with
would be more likely to ap- such total disdain and dis-
prove telecom mergers, respect,” he said in a two-
including a deal between part tweet. “They used to
Sprint and T-Mobile. have a great friend in the
Sprint Chief Executive Mar- U.S., but ... not anymore.
celo Claure said in a state- The beginning of the end
ment that the company was the horrible Iran deal,
is “excited” to work with and now this (U.N.)! Stay
Trump. strong Israel, January 20th
“We believe it is critical for is fast approaching!”
business and government The president-elect’s com-
to partner together to cre- plaints about the treatment
ate more job opportunities of Israel came a few hours
in the U.S. and ensure pros- before John Kerry made
perity for all Americans,” his final speech about Mid-
Claure said. east peace as secretary of
The Sprint jobs announce- state. Kerry criticized Israel
ment came after tensions for settlement-building and
rose and fell Wednes- accused Prime Minister
day between Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu of
Obama. Trump has made dragging Israel away from
it clear that it didn’t sit well democracy. Trump re-
with him when Obama sumed his busy schedule of
recently boasted that he meetings following a brief
would have won the elec- lull for the holidays.q
