[By Guancha Observer Network, Liu Chenghui] Look down on the textile industry? Treasury Secretary Bestin's remarks were severely criticized.

On April 29 local time, Bestin said at a White House briefing that what America needs is precision manufacturing, while the textile industry has become history. This remark immediately drew disappointment from American textile organizations, who sent a letter to Bestin expressing their dissatisfaction.

According to The New York Times, earlier on the morning of the 29th, Bestin mentioned President Trump's ambition to stimulate domestic manufacturing during a meeting, saying that Trump is interested in "future rather than past jobs."

"Where I grew up, we don't necessarily need the textile industry to thrive again, but we do want to revitalize precision manufacturing and bring it back," Bestin said.

April 29, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bestin attended the White House press briefing. The New York Times

The American National Textile Organization expressed dissatisfaction later that day, stating that they have always supported the Trump administration's trade agenda, including the broad tariff measures announced this month.

The organization emphasized that the American textile industry produces more than 8,000 different products for the military and employed over 470,000 workers last year.

"Our industry people are deeply disheartened by your remarks, especially since President Trump himself has repeatedly emphasized the strategic importance of our industry," Kimberly Glas, chairman of the organization's council, wrote in the letter.

Glas requested a meeting with Bestin, stating that American textile manufacturers should not be overlooked in the face of competitors benefiting from China's so-called "unfair trade policies."

"This is a strategically important key industry," he said.

The U.S. Treasury Department has yet to respond to The New York Times' request for comment.

This controversy erupted just as Trump celebrated his hundred-day milestone, with his senior aides also defending his aggressive tariff policies.

At a commemorative rally held in Macomb County, Michigan on the 29th, Trump spent a full 90 minutes boasting about himself, boldly claiming it was "the most successful first 100 days in any administration in American history."

He spared no effort in promoting his global tariff policies, repeating old arguments that tariffs on American trading partners could lead to the revival of domestic manufacturing. He also passionately defended the 145% tariff on China, packaging it as a necessary measure to "stem job losses."

White House Press Secretary Leavitt also boasted at the press briefing that Trump's "strong tariff policy" had successfully ended America's "economic surrender era."

However, a new poll conducted by CNN on the 27th showed that Trump's approval rating had dropped to only 41%, the lowest among presidents during their first hundred days in office in the 70 years since Eisenhower, even lower than during his first term.

A joint poll by Reuters and Ipsos also showed that Americans did not approve of Trump's economic ideas, with 53% of respondents holding a negative view.

This article is an exclusive piece by the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7499060893720855081/

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