Welch has doubtless watched the government squeeze on American business for decades.
To talk with a president who appears bent, with the energy of a honey badger, to roll back the stifling atmosphere — must be a very heartening experience. Yes, GE, along with just about everybody else and his aunt and uncle, has been neck deep in offshore manufacturing. This is where government taxes and regulation has frequently pushed business if it expected to survive.
“Everybody out of the pool” is not a party pooper if the pool was full of sewage in the first place.
In fact, I was one of the GER (GE reject) crowd, but afterward had a chance to visit with the father of my daughter's college roommate. He described how he had headed up the team that cleared out GE's middle management by firing or psychological bludgeoning. When that was finished, Welch then economically fired his whole "clean-out" team. Completely sand-bagged them. Nice guy, eh?
Yeah, we called him "Neutron Jack"--the people go, the buildings stay.
I have no doubt but that Jack and The Donald saw things eye to eye.
I wouldn't call that a good sign.