Saudi Deal to Bring Hundreds of Jobs, Not Half a Million Like Trump Promised, Say Experts
EXAGGERATION
Defense firms say less than a thousand jobs will be created. Trump said half a million.
Reuters / Jonathan Ernst
The Saudi arms deal negotiated by Donald Trump is likely to create only hundreds of U.S. jobs, according to defense firms, and not the half-million that the president has repeatedly promised. Reuters reports that an internal document from Lockheed Martin forecasts fewer than 1,000 positions in the U.S. but 10,000 new jobs in Saudi Arabia. The planned work would also keep around 18,000 existing U.S. workers busy. Trump has repeatedly defended Saudi Arabia’s ruling royal family after the killing of Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi by mentioning the $110 billion arms deal he negotiated with Saudi Arabia last year by saying “It’s 500,000 jobs.” The U.S. State Department said in May 2017 that the Saudi deal could support “tens of thousands of new jobs in the United States.” The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
