What did Donald Trump do today?

He whistled past the graveyard of the American manufacturing jobs he's killed.

At a rally in Georgia tonight, Trump said that the German auto company Audi was planning to build a factory in the state. The company confirmed that it was taking steps towards the eventual construction of a plant for its SUV line in Macon, and that it might be in service as early as 2031. 

Unlike many of the "deals" Trump announces and immediately takes credit for, it's entirely possible that this factory might actually get built. Notably, neither Trump nor Audi disclosed anything about the tax or other incentives the Volkswagen subsidiary was almost certainly offered to sweeten the deal. But Trump did try to tie Audi's decision to build in the United States to his tariffs, winking at the possibility of lifting them on Audi products in the meantime. 

Trump, who inherited a real estate empire and whose first independent employment came as a game show host at age 58, rhapsodized at the rally about how "manufacturing jobs" like the 4,500 that the Audi plant might eventually provide were the "best jobs." He also insisted that factory jobs were "coming back" thanks to him. 

That's a lie. In reality, manufacturing jobs have plummeted under Trump: the United States has lost at least 68,000 and more likely 108,000 jobs in manufacturing since his return to office. Trump's imposition of enormous and legally suspect taxes on imports is demonstrably hurting American manufacturing, not helping it, because American factories rely on imported raw materials and a stable trading environment in which to sell the finished product.

To put the Audi announcement in context, the United States economy needs to create 97,000 new jobs every month just to keep pace with the increase in the population. About 8% of all Americans work in manufacturing. That means that starting now, just to get out of the hole that his policies have blown in the manufacturing sector and keep up with population increases, Trump would have to hope that something the size of the proposed Audi plant opens every 11 days for the rest of his term.

In that wildly optimistic scenario, and assuming these jobs became available now and not in five or more years, Trump would end up with zero net manufacturing jobs for his second term, rather than the loss of half a million or more he's currently on track for.

Why does this matter?

• Saying you're creating jobs when you're destroying jobs is about as straightforward a lie as they get. 

• American workers would be better off if they had jobs and lower prices right now, instead of high prices now and the promise of a few hypothetical future jobs years from now. 

• Trump sure talks a good game about how great manufacturing jobs for someone who has never had a single friend, family member, in-law, or friendly acquaintance who's ever had one.