Should the government pay companies to keep jobs in America?

President-elect Donald Trump kicked off his post-election “thank you tour” on Thursday by railing against globalization, promising the return of manufacturing jobs to American workers, and vowing to shut usa borders to some Middle East migrants. Some workers yelled out “Thank you Mr. Trump” and “Thanks Donald” as he greeted them.

The decision by United Technologies Corp’s (UTX.N) Carrier unit to keep half of the 2,100 IN jobs it was to shift to Mexico has allowed Trump to claim credit after he held rallies during his populist campaign promising to revive the industrial base of the United States. “It’s not going to happen”, Trump warned.

“The Rust Belt is so incredible but we’re losing companies, it’s unbelievable”.

“They can leave from state to state, and negotiate deals with different states, but leaving the country will be very, very hard”, Trump added.

Donald Trump saluted workers, owners and himself Thursday at a Carrier plant in IN, declaring that a deal to keep a local plant open instead of moving operations to Mexico was only the first of many business victories to come in the US with him as president.

Although White House spokesman Josh Earnest initially admitted that it was “good news”, he claimed that it fell far short of Obama’s job creation record.

When asked by reporters about the deal, Trump, as he walked through the factory, said: “I think it’s great”.

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim said on Thursday that if Trump succeeds as USA president, it would benefit major trading partner Mexico because of increased employment and US economic growth.

He said: “This is a great day for IN and it’s a great day for working people all across the United States of America”.

Greg Hayes, CEO of United Technologies, said they were convinced to stay in IN after discussions with Trump and Pence about their plans “to improve the competitiveness of the US business environment through tax reform and through a more thoughtful approach to regulation”. The company said in a statement Wednesday that “more than 1,000 jobs” would stay in the Circle City.

The company will get $500,000 per year in state income tax refunds, as long as it keeps at least 1,069 manufacturing jobs in the state. “But most of the regulations are nonsense”. He used the Indianapolis factory as an example, saying that of the 260 new federal regulations issued in recent years, 53 affect that facility. He said at the time he would consider a fence in certain areas along the border.

Employees of Carrier watch as President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence take a tour in Indianapolis, Indiana, Dec. 1, 2016.

Critics say this is a bad deal that does little for the manufacturing industry and sets a risky precedent for companies threatening to leave the United States. Earlier Thursday, Nebraska Republican Sen.

Others are counting on Trump to take greater steps.

Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersDem senator to Trump: “You have no mandate” Sanders mocks House Science Committee for tweeting Breitbart article McConnell tees up medical cures bill MORE (I-Vt.) argued that the move could set a risky precedent. “We should be encouraging prep for disruption & retraining”.

It’s not yet clear how much of the company’s decision was based on concerns about maintaining the significant amount of business it does with the government.

Trump will tour the factory with his running mate Mike Pence – who, as the outgoing governor of IN, was well-situated to aid negotiations – and then the president-elect will give a speech about the deal, aides said. “And I have no doubt that he probably had a hand in helping this”.

In an unusual move for an incoming president, Trump later today will rally supporters in Cincinnati at the same sports arena where he drew one of the loudest and most raucous crowds of his insurgent campaign.

He then went off on a tangent addressing his campaign promise to build a border wall with Mexico.