Trump Discusses AI and Job Losses on NBC News
President Donald Trump concluded an off-air segment of “Tom Llamas’ Nightly News” on Wednesday after the NBC News host brought up concerns about job losses attributed to artificial intelligence (AI).
In a YouTube clip shared on Wednesday, Llamas mentioned that AI is “stealing” many jobs. However, Trump disagreed, stating that the current employment levels are the highest in U.S. history.
“AI is already starting to take away jobs because the technology exists,” Llamas expressed.
In response, Trump noted, “As just announced, there are more jobs in the United States today than at any time in the last 250 years. More people are working today than at any time in our country’s history. That’s a pretty solid statistic.”
It seemed Llamas struggled a bit in his reply.
“Then that question disappears,” Trump remarked jokingly. “That’s a good answer. That ends the questions.”
The NBC host pointed out that while many Americans have concerns about job losses linked to AI, Trump maintained a hopeful perspective.
“They said you can do anything with the Internet, you can do anything,” the president added. “Robots are going to eliminate jobs. Everything is going to take away jobs. If you’re smart, things will work out in the end.”
Analysts had previously indicated to the Daily Caller News Foundation that the growing use of AI in the U.S. could disrupt job markets significantly, impacting many entry-level roles.
Interestingly, almost 80% of Americans agreed that the “stigma” associated with trade and blue-collar jobs is diminishing, as employers increasingly value practical skills. A recent poll conducted by Harris Poll for the Business for Good Foundation showed that about 75% of respondents believe “jobs that rely on hands-on experience are less likely to be replaced by AI.”
AI was reportedly behind over 50,000 job cuts in the U.S. as of 2025. According to a report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, employers have cited AI as the cause for a total of 71,825 layoffs since 2023.
Furthermore, Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council, cautioned in November that AI is diminishing the need for entry-level workers and contributing to “quiet times” in the labor market.
Nevertheless, Trump’s assertion about record employment appeared to hold water. Data showed that around 164 million Americans were employed in December, reflecting a slight rise from January 2025 and a significant increase from about 150 million in February 2021.
