Topline
Former President Donald Trump laid into the auto industry during a rally in Michigan on Wednesday, saying large car companies are too quick to “give into” electric vehicles that don’t travel enough and are “too expensive”—an attempt to court auto workers just one day after President Joe Biden joined a picket line with striking United Auto Workers members.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks speaks at a campaign rally at Drake Enterprises, an … [+]
Key Facts
Trump told rally attendees, a mix of area politicians, supporters and a handful of striking workers, according to NBC, that the electric vehicle push would take them out of business in two to three years, encouraging union leaders to endorse his 2024 presidential bid as supposedly the only way to keep jobs long-term.
The former president called for a “revival of economic nationalism” and said electric vehicle mandates “will spell the death of the U.S. auto industry.”
“They’re either stupid or they’re gutless,” Trump said of car companies for pivoting toward EV production, which has been championed by the Biden Administration, claiming “the auto industry is being assassinated” by the push for EVs.
Striking auto workers were also a topic touched on by the ex-president, who said, “I see people striking for wages, but your jobs will only be here for two to three years.”
Chief Critic
“Donald Trump is lying about President Biden’s agenda to distract from his failed track record of trickle-down tax cuts, closed factories, and jobs outsourced to China,” Kevin Munoz, a spokesperson for Biden’s presidential campaign, said in a statement. “There is no ‘EV mandate.’”
Contra
Ahead of Trump’s rally, UAW President Shawn Fain likened the former president to wealthy executives refusing to agree to pay increase demands. “Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers,” Fain said in a statement.
Key Background
Trump’s appearance in Michigan comes amid a historic strike by the United Auto Workers, more than 18,000 of which are employees with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. The workers are asking for a 40% pay increase over four years in addition to cost-of-living increases that are consistent with the raises union members say are given to executives at the three companies. Biden’s picket line appearance Tuesday was met with some support, though the president has faced union pushback over concerns his support for electric vehicles could result in lost jobs. The Biden Administration is seeking to have 50% of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030, a sweeping goal accompanied by the administration’s goal of installing 1.2 million electric vehicle chargers by the same year.
Further Reading
Biden Becomes 1st U.S. President On Picket Line—But Autoworkers Still Haven’t Endorsed Him (Forbes)
Trump Courting Union Workers Marks Republican Rarity—But UAW Has Denounced His ‘Billionaire’ Status (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/09/27/theyre-gutless-trump-blasts-car-companies-over-ev-pivot-in-debate-counterprogramming-speech/