'He's still alive': Trump mistakenly said union worker's dad is dead

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump tells a steelworker his father was looking down, but dad’s alive The President told a steelworker that his father was looking down on him with pride. It was a lovely sentiment except for one thing. The dad’s still alive and kicking.

President Trump's roll-out of his divisive steel and aluminum tariffs had all the makings of a stately presidential proclamation — except he missed when assuming a union worker's father was dead.

It turns out Herman Sauritch is still alive.

The comment came during a White House gathering Thursday, when Trump officially signed tariff proclamations surrounded by steelworkers toting hard hats.

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Speaking at the signing was Scott Sauritch, the president of Local 2227, a steelworkers union in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Sauritch described the toll taken on his family when his father lost his job because of imports during the 1980s.

"What that does to a man with six kids is devastating," he said. "I never want to see it happen again."

Following Sauritch's speech, the president stepped up to the lectern microphone and said, "Your father Herman is looking down. He's very proud of you right now."

To which Sauritch said, "Oh, he's still alive," which earned a laugh from the gathered steelworkers, Vice President Mike Pence and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The president, with a smile, responded, "then he's even more proud."

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