President-elect Donald Trump took credit this week for stopping Ford from moving an assembly plant from the U.S. to Mexico—but the automaker actually had no plans to relocate the plant.
Trump wrote in a pair of tweets on Thursday evening that he “worked hard” with Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. to keep its Lincoln plant in Kentucky instead of moving it to Mexico. Trump said Thursday that the executive called to tell him “he will be keeping the Lincoln plant in Kentucky—no Mexico.”
“I owed it to the great State of Kentucky for their confidence in me!” Trump added.
However, U.S. jobs were never at stake, according to reports. Ford currently produces the Lincoln MKC and the Ford Escape at its Louisville Assembly Plant, the Washington Post reports. The company had considered moving production of the Lincoln MKC from Kentucky to Mexico in order to build more Ford Escapes at the Kentucky plant, but Ford had previously said the change wouldn’t lead to any lost jobs in Kentucky.
Now, though, the company is keeping Lincoln MKC production in Kentucky and will not produce additional Ford Escapes there. It was not immediately clear when Ford made the decision.
Ford issued a statement after Trump’s announcement, saying the company “confirmed” with Trump that “our small Lincoln utility vehicle made at the Louisville Assembly Plant will stay in Kentucky,” according to the Post.
“We are encouraged that President-elect Trump and the new Congress will pursue policies that will improve U.S. competitiveness and make it possible to keep production of this vehicle here in the United States,” the statement said.
Just got a call from my friend Bill Ford, Chairman of Ford, who advised me that he will be keeping the Lincoln plant in Kentucky – no Mexico
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 18, 2016
I worked hard with Bill Ford to keep the Lincoln plant in Kentucky. I owed it to the great State of Kentucky for their confidence in me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 18, 2016