By BEN SHIMKUS, CONSUMER REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Published: 17:59 BST, 8 April 2025 | Updated: 20:48 BST, 8 April 2025

President Donald Trump wants to bring factories back to the United States. 

But if you ask his frequently televised Commerce Secretary how that’s supposed to work, the answer sounds less like a jobs boom and more like a robot uprising — with maybe a few HVAC specialists thrown in. 

In recent comments on Face the Nation, Howard Lutnick — who is a regular on TV talking about tariffs — delivered a head-spinning rant insisting that American factories will be automated.

Seconds later, he claimed they’ll be staffed by American workers. 

‘The army of millions and millions of human beings screwing in little screws to make iPhones, that kind of thing is going to come to America,’ he said.

‘Our high school educated Americans — the core to our workforce, is going to have the greatest resurgence of jobs in the history of America to work on these high-tech factories, which are all coming to America. 

‘That’s what’s going to build our next generation of America.’ 

Lutnick’s flip-flop reveals the fine print of Trump’s manufacturing promise is not fully plotted out yet. Factories might come back, but we don’t know that they’ll be the middle-class jobs people remember.

Howard Lutnick, the Secretary for the Department of Commerce, gave an interview to Face the Nation

Howard Lutnick, the Secretary for the Department of Commerce, gave an interview to Face the Nation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNetIyK8CZE

Big names mocking Lutnick’s comments

  • Bill Ackman said Lutnick ‘profits when our economy implodes.’ 
  • Billionaire Mark Cuban asked: ‘Has Howard Lutnick done anything of value as Commerce Secretary?’ 
  • Podcaster Kara Swisher called him an ‘obtuse simpleton’

And the topsy-turvy statements from the Commerce Secretary aren’t coming from a fringe political outsider. 

Howard Lutnick’s responsibility in the role, per the government’s own description, is to provide support ‘in formulating policy and in providing advice to the President.’

The comments came on the heels of a brutal week for American companies.

Last week, President Trump unveiled his reciprocal tariff policy that plan to punish countries for their subsidies and sales taxes.

The smallest rate imposed on all imported products is 10 percent. Goods coming from other nations where the Trump administration found more barriers to American sales will face upwards of 50 percent tariffs. 

Consumer advocates have been nearly unanimous in their evaluation of the impact on American buyers: Trump’s tariffs will increase the price of all goods. 

Estimates of the tariff impact found that Americans should expect to pay an average of $3,800 more a year as a result of the levies.

That’s on top of already stubborn inflation and years of sticker shock caused by pandemic-era supply chain meltdowns. 

The Trump administration has launched tariffs to bring back American manufacturing, but hasn't had a robust response to factory automation concerns

The Trump administration has launched tariffs to bring back American manufacturing, but hasn’t had a robust response to factory automation concerns

Lutnick said Americans would be 'screwing in little screws to make iPhones'

Lutnick said Americans would be ‘screwing in little screws to make iPhones’ 

President Donald Trump sits behind the Resolute desk as Sec. Scott Bessent (left) and Sec. Howard Lutnick (right) look on

President Donald Trump sits behind the Resolute desk as Sec. Scott Bessent (left) and Sec. Howard Lutnick (right) look on

Dozens of major brands — including companies that off-shored their labor force to other countries — watched their stock prices sink in the days following the tariff announcement. 

Those losses also wiped out thousands of dollars from savings accounts for millions of Americans. 

Companies have ridden the wild rollercoaster with trillions of dollars ripped from their market capitalization in a few days. 

The volatility is happening as the Trump administration hopes private companies will invest steady amounts of cash in American manufacturing.

Stocks were resurgent to start today on the news from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that the administration is willing to negotiate back from its initial tariff announcements.  

The Commerce Department didn’t immediately respond to Daily Mail’s request for comment or clarification on Secretary Lutnick’s statement. 

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The jaw-droppingly stupid comment by Trump’s commerce chief Howard Lutnick proves tariffs are doomed

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