Report: WH Doc Links Manufacturing Decline To Uptick In Abortions Sans Data

National Trade Council adviser Peter Navarro appears before President Donald Trump arrives to sign executive orders regarding trade in the Oval Office at the White House, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Washington. Trump ... National Trade Council adviser Peter Navarro appears before President Donald Trump arrives to sign executive orders regarding trade in the Oval Office at the White House, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Washington. Trump left before signing the orders. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) MORE LESS
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A document circulated within the White House in September claimed that the demise of the American manufacturing industry has led to an uptick in abortions, divorce, infertility and opioid abuse without offering any evidence, according to a Tuesday report in the Washington Post.

The document about a weakened manufacturing sector in the U.S. was prepared by Peter Navarro (pictured above), the director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, according to the report. It asserted that a declining manufacturing sector has led to job loss and factory closures, but also included claims of socioeconomic impacts that the Post reported were “presented without any data or information to back up the assertions.”

One unnamed administration official told the Post that the document was distributed to White House staff, while a different administration official said that Cabinet leaders saw the document.

The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that large trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have hurt American manufacturing. Navarro has encouraged Trump to pull out of multilateral trade deals in favor of bilateral agreements.

Read the Washington Post’s full report here.

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