David M Jackson

USA TODAY

Donald Trump's high-profile trade speech Tuesday drew criticism from an unusual pair of opponents: the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Other conservative Republicans are also questioning Trump's proposal to re-negotiate or even rip up multilateral trade deals long supported by GOP leaders and allied business interests.

"Good-paying jobs and sustained economic growth relies on an outward-facing U.S. economy, not inward isolation," tweeted the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in responding to Trump.

Donald Trump targets globalization and free trade as job-killers

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, meanwhile, cited a Trump business history that includes past support for free trade. The labor leader tweeted at one point, "if @realDonaldTrump trade policies look anything like his business policies, working ppl will be collecting pink slips instead of pay checks."

Trump is changing the Republican agenda on trade, saying U.S. agreements — and its support of China's entry into the World Trade Organization — have enabled businesses to move American jobs overseas, particularly manufacturing jobs from places like Pennsylvania and Ohio.

"On trade, on immigration, on foreign policy, we are going to put America first again," Trump said during a speech in Monessen, Pa., a former steel town in the western part of the industrial state.

The presumptive GOP presidential nominee pledged to junk the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal involving the United States and Pacific Rim nations. He also vowed to re-negotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico and threatened to withdraw from NAFTA entirely if dissatisfied.

Donald Trump: Special interests want to 'rape' our country via trade deal

Politicians who backed these deals "watched on the sidelines as our jobs vanished and our communities were plunged into Depression-level unemployment," Trump said.

A number of Republicans disputed Trump, saying trade has generated different kinds of jobs in the United States and helped reduce the cost of goods and services for consumers.

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., a frequent critic of Trump, responded to the speech with a series of tweets linking to studies detailing the benefits of free-trade agreements. In one missive, Sasse said that "free trade has been one of the greatest forces in history for lifting humanity out of poverty."

Ben Sasse, the Senate GOP's 'Never Trumper,' irks some voters at home

The U.S. Chamber noted that Trump has spoken kindly of free-trade policies, tweeting at one point that "the 2013 Trump was a lot better on trade than the 2016 Version."

In a report linking Trump's trade views to those of Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, the chamber noted that manufacturing output has increased by more than 75% over the last quarter-century.

As for job losses in manufacturing, trade is not the culprit, the chamber said.

"Employment in the sector has declined as automation, robotics, information technologies, and highly sophisticated capital goods have allowed factories to produce more with fewer workers," the chamber said.

In his Pennsylvania speech, Trump said those jobs losses need to be addressed: "Trade reform and the negotiation of great trade deals is the quickest way to bring our jobs back to our country."