Trump Tells Residents to Leave Upstate New York

President Trump told Wall Street Journal reporters earlier this week that Upstate New York "isn't working," and residents should follow manufacturing jobs to other parts of the country.

2 minute read

July 27, 2017, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Donald Trump

Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock

Jerry Zremski's lede effectively teases the reason for the furor that's erupted over recent remarks by president Donald Trump:

President Trump has a message for down-on-their-luck blue-collar workers all across upstate New York:

Move.

And don't look back on the house you left behind.

The remarks were included in a Wall Street Journal interview published on July 26, in response to the news that Foxconn chose a Wisconsin location over Upstate New York for a new manufacturing plant.

In Trump's own words, from the interview:

I’m going to start explaining to people: When you have an area that just isn’t working like upper New York state, where people are getting very badly hurt, and then you’ll have another area 500 miles away where you can’t get people, I’m going to explain, you can leave.

Then, an exclamation point: "Don't worry about your house."

Zremski gathered responses from business and political leaders from around the region, finding mostly disagreement about the state of Upstate New York and the president's advice to decamp.

A separate article by Larry Rulison provides soundbites from Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. Oneida County hoped to land the Foxconn facility, and Picente is a Republican. Ruilson reports Picente's response to the president's statements:

"I'm working every day to make this place better, and I would have hoped that he would have done the same," Picente remarked, noting that it's been decades since America has had a president from New York. "I'm trying to get more people here."

Yet another article by Mark Weiner presents Republican Reps. John Katko and Claudia Tenney a chance to disagree with the president.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017 in The Buffalo News

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.