According to a review by American Ledger, President Donald Trump repeatedly defended the practice of outsourcing, or shipping American jobs overseas, during his business career and campaign for president despite claiming to be a champion of American manufacturing opposed to unfair trade deals.

In 2005, Trump wrote a blog for the now-defunct Trump University with the headline: “Outsourcing Creates Jobs in the Long Run.” In the post, he stated, “I have to take the unpopular stance that [outsourcing] is not always a terrible thing.” He added, in a sympathetic nod to American workers who lose jobs when companies pursue an outsourcing strategy, that “I know that doesn’t make it any easier for people whose jobs have been outsourced overseas, but if a company’s only means of survival is by farming jobs outside its walls, then sometimes it’s a necessary step.”

Donald Trump viewed outsourcing as a “sometimes necessary step” and pursued the strategy in his own businesses.

Several Trump branded products including ties and shirts are manufactured abroad. Trump claimed once in an interview with ABC that his products are made overseas “Because you can’t even buy them here,” implying that the American textile industry is incapable of producing medium-quality formal wear. In another interview, David Letterman mentioned that Trump shirts were made in Bangladesh, and Trump added, “Well that’s good, we employ people in Bangladesh.” Trump has defended these outsourcing decisions, adding “I openly say I do it.”

President Trump is running for reelection on a message of putting America and the American workers first despite a record of railing against American manufacturing capabilities and outsourcing jobs himself.