President Donald Trump celebrated U.S.-made products on Monday, and in doing so he brought renewed attention to his own family's production and sale of goods made overseas.
"We want to build, create and grow more products in our country using American labor, American goods, and American grit," Trump said at a White House event touting products made in all 50 states, kicking off the administration's "Made in America"-themed week.
"We are going to put that brand on our product because it means that it's the best," Trump added. He then signed an executive order aimed at better supporting American companies and protecting U.S. workers.
But White House aides have struggled to answer questions about the Trump Organization's and Ivanka Trump's decision to manufacture a number of products overseas in places like China and Mexico.
Ahead of the event, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said it would be "inappropriate" to comment on how the president's actions could impact Trump's or his daughter's business, but indicated the administration is working to bring more manufacturing back to the United States.
"The president's been a very successful businessman on a number of fronts, on a number of area and industries, and to understand very first hand what the tax burden, what the regulatory burden do to a business that wants to grow or expand here or hire here," Spicer said of the apparent disconnect between the president's message Monday and his family's current business practices.
"So I think he actually is in a very unique way understands the challenges that our regulatory system and our tax system put on businesses that want to hire here, that want to grow here," Spicer said.
The Washington Post reported last week that Ivanka Trump relies "exclusively on foreign factories" to manufacture her products. A spokeswoman for her told reporters Sunday she would get back to them about whether the week's theme would encourage the first daughter to move her clothing line to the United States.
Along with producing products overseas, Trump has been criticized for hiring foreign workers for his Mar-a-Lago resort, calling it "very, very hard" to find workers to fill those jobs. His Virginia winery operated by his son also relies on visa programs to bring in foreign workers.
