Sorry, Hillary: Trump actually has made a few things in the USA

Hillary Clinton followed her history-making DNC speech by staying in Philadelphia for an extra day and giving yet another speech Friday. The location was different, Temple University on North Broad Street rather than the Wells Fargo Center on South Broad, but much of the message was the same, primarily because she spent time attacking Donald Trump.

At one point during the speech, Clinton said, "He doesn't make a thing in America."

The comment came after a week of DNC speakers taking shots at Trump. Multiple politicians, including U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Clinton, pointed out many of Trump’s products are made in foreign countries, such as his vodka and his neckties. These are indeed made overseas. But what about everything? Has Trump really not made a thing in America?

This was a quick fact to check. While many of his products have been made overseas, some are made in America, such as his suits. Amazon features more than a dozen Trump-brand suits. Yes, some are made in China and some have no country listed for where they’re made. But some are made in the United States. A previous PolitiFact check also found Trump-brand wine to be made here in the U.S.

For a product to be considered made in the USA, according to the Federal Trade Commission, "all or virtually all" of the product has to be made in the United States. The FTC can bring legal action against companies suspected of making misleading claims about the origins of their products.   

On Trump’s website, he sells several apparel items, including the "Make America Great Again" hats, as well as t-shirts, signs and buttons. All of them are said to be made in America. Though photos on the internet circulated of one of his hats having been made in China, PolitiFact found that wasn’t true. According to the AP, the "Make America Great Again" hats are stitched at a small factory in Los Angeles. Workers at the factory in which the Make America Great Again hats are made told the AP the some of the materials that go into the hats are imported.

Clinton’s campaign responded to an inquiry about Clinton’s statement by providing links to articles explaining where certain Trump items are made. It did not respond to questions about why Clinton said Trump had not made a thing in America or whether the campaign has discovered discrepancies in where Trump items are made that have not been reported.

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Elon Musk

stated on November 13, 2024 in an X post

Says Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., “is trying to change the outcome of the election by counting NON-CITIZEN votes.”

Our ruling

Speaking in a packed Temple University gym, Hillary Clinton questioned Donald Trump’s ability to create jobs for Americans and said, "He doesn't make a thing in America."

Many of Trump’s products are made overseas, but not all of them. At the least, some of his suits and the campaign memorabilia he sells on his website are made in the United States.

We rule the claim False.