Saying Donald Trump has a big ego would be as revelatory as saying the sun rises in the east. That Donald Trump exaggerates his accomplishments and downplays his own failures would pretty much make him like the average politician. But there are times when a person’s hubris gets to the point where it reaches the level of the absurd. For Donald Trump, it’s taking credit for a business move made by Ford that he had absolutely nothing to do with.

It’s one thing for a person who actually holds office and who is implementing policy to believe their policies have an effect on business decisions that are made and often it is true. But Donald Trump has never sniffed public office and yet somehow, he and his loyal followers are convinced his rhetoric on issues such as trade are influencing decisions.

In this case, Trump and his fans are taking credit for the Ford Motor Company moving a production plant from Mexico to Ohio. From the site Right Wing News:

Ohio must be thrilled!! Under pressure, Ford is moving back their Mexican plant (worth 2 billion) back to the states… Youngstown, Ohio to be exact. There will be 1,000 new jobs for factory workers there. I’m sure I’m not alone with an urge to weep in relief over that one development. Ford must believe that Trump will be the next president. That’s all I can take away from this. Trump has said that if he’s elected, he will make it very expensive for manufacturers who have relocated outside the US and then sell their products back here. Ford must have done the math and figured that would cost them a great deal.

Trump wasted no time in attempting to take credit:

Word is that Ford Motor, because of my constant badgering at packed events, is going to cancel their deal to go to Mexico and stay in U.S.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2015

Do you think I will get credit for keeping Ford in U.S. Who cares, my supporters know the truth. Think what can be done as president!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2015

The reality however, is much different. Nick Mascari, at the Ohio-centric blog Third Base Politics calls BS on this:

Let’s be absolutely clear. Donald Trump had nothing to do with this. It happened in 2011.

This move was the result of a negotiations and deals between Ford, the Kasich administration, local officials and the UAW. Period.

This past summer, after millions of dollars of investment in the plant, the first heavy duty Ford truck rolled off the assembly line in the re-tooled Avon, Ohio plant. Mr. Voltova seems to have read this CNN Money article about it, and decided to inexplicably give Trump the credit.

Details from the story linked above:

Ford Motor Co. received a tax incentive that could retain 1,400 jobs and maintain operations at its Ohio Assembly Plant for the next 18 years, according to a deal with the Ohio Tax Credit Authority.

Gov. John R. Kasich will join Ford Vice President of North American Manufacturing Jim Tetreault and Ohio Assembly Plant Manager Alex Maciag at a press conference today at 9:30 a.m.

The announcement, which will take place at Ford Motor Co.’s Ohio Assembly Plant’s administrative Building in Sheffield Lake, will include information about Ford’s investment commitment and future product plans for the plant.

It appeared the tax credits would be part of Ford’s commitment to move its medium truck and frame assembly to Ohio from Mexico, an investment of $128 million.

Donald Trump is taking credit now for a move Ford decided on nearly four years ago. Not only that, it had zero to do with trade and immigration but instead, tax incentives.

Sadly, this will be yet another example of Trump running his mouth and the media failing to call him out over it. It is a story so easy to debunk it would take even the laziest of journalists hardly any effort to tell people what really went down. I won’t hold my breath.