“The Giant Factory and the Golden Shovels.” Biden exploits one of Trump’s major economic failures

Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled a major technology investment in Wisconsin, an electorally crucial state, in the very place where his rival had promised a giant factory that never saw the light of day, according to AFP.

“Under my authority, we make promises and keep them,” said the US president, as he formalized a $3.3 billion project by the giant Microsoft.

Six months before a presidential election pitting him against the 77-year-old Republican tycoon, the 81-year-old Democrat recalled what remains a particularly resounding failure of his predecessor’s tenure.

The golden shovels…

Donald Trump “came here (…) with a golden shovel, literally, to promise the “eighth wonder of the world”. No joke,” joked Joe Biden, using an expression the Republican had actually used at the site’s inauguration. “They dug a hole with those gold shovels and fell into it,” he quipped.

In 2018, the former president had announced a huge investment by Taiwanese hardware manufacturer Foxconn, which was supposed to create 13,000 jobs. The project did not materialize.

“Foxconn turned out to be just a scam,” denounced the American president, who presents himself as the champion of reindustrialization.

Microsoft will build a server center and artificial intelligence services in Racine, in southeastern Wisconsin. According to the White House, it will generate 2,300 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs.

“Everything we do here (…) is a direct result of the work of this White House, of this president,” said Brad Smith, president of the American technology group.

Hinge state

Since his arrival in the White House, Joe Biden has launched giant programs of public investment in infrastructure, energy transition and leading industries.

Wisconsin, whose economy is based on both agriculture and industrial activity centered around Lake Michigan, is the subject of a bitter electoral battle.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday puts Joe Biden in the lead in Wisconsin with 50 percent of voting intentions, compared to 44 percent for Donald Trump, in the event of a duel between the two sole candidates.

But the gap narrows to almost zero (40% for the Democrat and 39% for the Republican) if the poll is extended to three other potential candidates, including Robert F. Kennedy.

This swing state, along with Arizona (west) and Pennsylvania (east), is one of the few states that holds the key to the presidential election.

These crucial states may swing to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump, while others are seen as already won by either the Republican or the Democrat. In Wisconsin, for example, the Democrat edged his rival by just 20,682 votes in 2020.

It is no coincidence that the Republican Party chose to hold its nominating convention this summer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Democratic Party chose Chicago, where Joe Biden is also scheduled to travel on Wednesday, to raise funds.

The Democratic convention in August could be held in a tense atmosphere if the protest movement against the war in Gaza continues.