Former President Donald Trump’s social media company, Trump Media, reportedly outsourced jobs to workers in Mexico despite Trump’s public criticism of such practices during his campaign. Trump’s campaign rhetoric included threats of imposing heavy tariffs on companies that moved jobs to Mexico, aiming to discourage outsourcing.
A spokesperson for Trump Media, which manages the Truth Social platform, confirmed the employment of Mexican workers through another entity to carry out coding and other technical tasks. Some individuals within the company expressed disappointment, viewing the outsourcing as a contradiction to the “America First” stance, noting that it sparked internal discontent and led to a whistleblower letter to the board of Trump Media.
The whistleblower letter urged the removal of CEO Devin Nunes, accusing him of severe mismanagement and promoting an “America Last” hiring approach by favoring foreign contractors over American workers. The complaint highlighted concerns regarding workforce quality and alignment with company values.
A Trump Media representative stated that the company employs “two individual workers” in Mexico, dismissing criticisms as unfounded conspiracy theories. However, the spokesperson refrained from disclosing payment details or the broader extent of foreign contractor usage. The Trump campaign did not respond to inquiries on the matter.
As of last year, Trump Media maintained a small permanent staff, with limited numbers working on Truth Social’s technology. The decision to hire Mexican coders led to dissatisfaction among employees who questioned their technical skills.
Truth Social advertises on its homepage that it is “Proudly made in the United States of America.” Throughout his presidency and campaign for a second term, Trump has criticized companies for outsourcing jobs to Mexico. He has pledged to curb outsourcing and threatened tariffs on companies like John Deere and automakers planning to relocate operations to Mexico.
Trump holds nearly 60% of Trump Media, a significant financial interest valued at approximately $3.5 billion. The company’s stock value has exhibited volatility, closely linked to electoral outcomes, with recent fluctuations despite limited change in business operations or revenue generation.
Eric Swider, a board member of Trump Media, defended the use of foreign labor, stating that global multimedia companies often utilize subcontractors who may employ workers abroad. Such practices, he argued, are industry-standard, and companies like Trump Media cannot dictate subcontractor employment decisions.
Trump Media’s outsourcing practices extend beyond Mexico, involving labor from the Balkans, as previously reported. CEO Devin Nunes, mentioned in a recent book, emphasized cost-efficiency at Trump Media, though he did not reference outsourcing. He highlighted the rapid growth and cost-effectiveness of the company’s development compared to others in the industry.
