Alex Gangitano
Wed, September 27, 2023
Biden campaign slams Trump’s ‘incoherent’ Michigan speech
President Biden’s reelection campaign called former President Trump’s speech in Michigan “incoherent” and said that workers aren’t buying his attempts to woo them.
“Donald Trump’s low-energy, incoherent ‘speech’ at a non-union factory in Michigan was a pathetic, recycled attempt to feign support for working Americans. Americans have seen him try this before and they aren’t buying it,” Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said.
Trump gave an address in Michigan as counterprogramming to Wednesday’s GOP debate, where he called out what he views as a flawed and failing auto industry under the Biden administration. He criticized the White House on policies on China and electric vehicles and argued that employees are worse off under Biden.
Trump gave the address in Michigan, ground zero for strikes launched this month by the United Auto Workers (UAW). The former president sees blue-collar voters as a constituency he can win from Biden in a rematch of their 2020 presidential race; Trump won Michigan in 2016 before losing it to Biden in 2020.
The Biden campaign pushed back on Trump’s criticism, saying he left office with fewer jobs than when he entered office and arguing that he sent jobs overseas. Unemployment fell for most of Trump’s presidency before spiking during the pandemic lockdowns that began in March 2020.
“They know who Donald Trump really is: a billionaire charlatan running on empty words, broken promises, and lost jobs. Under Trump, the ultra-wealthy and big corporations got richer, and American families paid the price. He left office with fewer jobs than when he entered. He created incentives for companies to ship manufacturing overseas. And, he let China get ahead in the race to the future,” Munoz said.
The campaign also sent news headlines about billionaires paying less taxes under the Trump administration and about broken promises to Midwest factory workers that companies wouldn’t move jobs overseas.
“We all remember, and Americans won’t forget come November 2024,” Munoz said.
Biden joined the UAW picket line Tuesday, marking a first-of-its kind moment for a sitting president.
The UAW has not yet endorsed Biden in 2024, saying in May that it has concerns over the White House’s focus on EVs — a policy Trump repeatedly hit Biden over as the reason the workers went on strike in the first place.
The Hill.
Trump goes on incoherent and incorrect rant on electric vehicles as he skips out on second GOP debate
Graeme Massie
Wed, September 27, 2023
Donald Trump went on an incoherent and inaccurate rant about electric cars as he gave a speech to a non-union auto parts factory in Michigan and avoided the second Republican debate.
The former president visited the 2024 battleground state the day after Joe Biden joined the United Auto Workers union picket line to support striking workers there.
Mr Trump accused the president of a “cruel and ridiculous” policy on electric vehicles that would be the death of the American car industry, despite Tesla being the highest-valued company in the industry,
He told workers at Drake Enterprises, an automotive manufacturing plant in Clinton Township, that EVs were actually bad for the environment.
“People have no idea how bad this is going to be for the environment, you know those batteries when they get rid of them, and lots of bad things happen, and when they dig it out of the ground to make them, is going to very bad for the environment,” he claimed.
“Why aren’t these manufacturers making cars that are going to sell and go on long journeys? They want windmills all over the place. It is like they are told what to do and go against their industries.”
And he warned: “The electric vehicles are going to put you out of business, the things you make in Michigan they don’t need anything of it.”
Wed, September 27, 2023
Donald Trump went on an incoherent and inaccurate rant about electric cars as he gave a speech to a non-union auto parts factory in Michigan and avoided the second Republican debate.
The former president visited the 2024 battleground state the day after Joe Biden joined the United Auto Workers union picket line to support striking workers there.
Mr Trump accused the president of a “cruel and ridiculous” policy on electric vehicles that would be the death of the American car industry, despite Tesla being the highest-valued company in the industry,
He told workers at Drake Enterprises, an automotive manufacturing plant in Clinton Township, that EVs were actually bad for the environment.
“People have no idea how bad this is going to be for the environment, you know those batteries when they get rid of them, and lots of bad things happen, and when they dig it out of the ground to make them, is going to very bad for the environment,” he claimed.
“Why aren’t these manufacturers making cars that are going to sell and go on long journeys? They want windmills all over the place. It is like they are told what to do and go against their industries.”
And he warned: “The electric vehicles are going to put you out of business, the things you make in Michigan they don’t need anything of it.”
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks to guests during a campaign stop at Drake Enterprises, an automotive parts manufacturer, on September 27, 2023 in Clinton Township, Michigan. (Getty Images)
Mr Trump claimed that the Biden administration wanted high gasoline prices to force Americans to buy EVs.
“They want it (high gas prices) so you go all electric so you can drive for 15 minutes before you need to get it charged,” he said.
Then he claimed that EVs, which have ranges of 300 to 500 miles, could only be used on short journeys.
MAGA PROPOGANDA POSTERS
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Drake Enterprises, an automotive parts manufacturer, on September 27, 2023 in Clinton Township, Michigan. (Getty Images)
“These are built specifically for people who want to take extremely short trips…it is crazy, they say the happiest day you buy an electric car is the first 10 mins you drive it then panic sets in and you think where the hell am I going to charge this thing,” he said.
Mr Trump said that he supported anyone who wanted to buy an EV, but that they should not be made mandatory in America.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Drake Enterprises, an automotive parts manufacturer, on September 27, 2023 in Clinton Township, Michigan. (Getty Images)
“These are built specifically for people who want to take extremely short trips…it is crazy, they say the happiest day you buy an electric car is the first 10 mins you drive it then panic sets in and you think where the hell am I going to charge this thing,” he said.
Mr Trump said that he supported anyone who wanted to buy an EV, but that they should not be made mandatory in America.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump tours Drake Enterprises, an automotive parts manufacturer, before speaking to guest at a small rally on September 27, 2023 in Clinton Township, Michigan. (Getty Images)
And he quickly returned to his bizarre criticisms of the vehicles.
“Right now electric cars don’t go far enough and they are far too expensive, people are not going to be able to afford them and the cost of operation is also much more.”
Trump rips into Biden as he seeks to woo Michigan autoworkers
Hanna Trudo
Wed, September 27, 2023
Former President Trump dug into President Biden on Wednesday in a bid to woo autoworkers in Michigan, a state he lost last election, as his GOP rivals gathered across the country for the second presidential primary debate in Simi Valley, Calif.
Trump, speaking in Clinton Township, a suburb of Detroit, wasted no time before bashing the incumbent president on what he views as a flawed and failing auto industry under the Biden administration, criticizing the White House on everything from China and NAFTA to electric vehicles.
“A vote for Crooked Joe means the future of the auto industry will be ‘Made in China,’” Trump said to a lively audience.
Trump was addressing a raucous crowd who cheered as he sought to draw policy contrasts with Biden — whom he hopes to face as the next Republican presidential nominee — while throwing personal jabs at the Democratic president.
“Crooked Joe Biden is back like a wretched old vulture trying to finish off his prey,” Trump said roughly 20 minutes into his speech.
Trump’s event comes after Biden sought this week to court members of the United Auto Workers union, taking the unusual step of joining striking members on the picket line. Biden announced he would head to the battleground state after Trump announced plans to do the same.
In contrast with Biden’s optimistic tone for frustrated workers, Trump painted a grim picture about what their future could look like under another term for Biden, “radical” Democrats, “environmental lunatics,” and “left-wing crazies,” as he referred to his political opponents.
The event kicked off the unofficial start to the 2024 cycle for working class voters in a part of the Midwest that’s critical to assembling a winning coalition.
“The auto industry is being assassinated,” Trump said. “They’re going to be closing up and building those cars in China and other places. It’s a hit job on Michigan.”
Trump spent a portion of his speech outlining the ways in which he believes employees are worse off under Biden as he pivoted to acknowledge the “suffering of the American factory workers.”
“You’re losing your way of life,” he said emphatically, further contending that jobs and whole industries in the United States are being shredded while Biden is serving as commander in chief.
He also said that Biden has made America’s standing on the national stage weaker, promising that the country will have a renewed sense of credibility under a second Trump term.
“The whole world is laughing at us,” he said. “Give me four more years and I will give you an end to this horrible globalism that’s killing our country.”
The former president, who has sustained two impeachments and is currently undergoing multiple indictments as the GOP front-runner, also made several campaign pledges in an attempt to energize voters.
“I will unleash a thing called American energy,” Trump said while outlining more ways that he would distinguish himself from Biden. “I will be your protector, I will be your advocate,” he pledged, adding, “on day one, I will terminate Joe Biden’s electric vehicle mandate” and levy a tariff on goods made outside of the U.S.
He also took a shot at environmental advocates who have had a major influence on Biden’s administration. Biden has worked to address climate change at a larger scale than past presidents and has faced pushback from Republicans and the fossil fuel industry.
“We will drill, baby, drill,” Trump said. “It will have zero environmental difference.”
Trump Brags About Booking Michigan Trip First as He Skips GOP Debate
William Vaillancourt
DAILY BEAST
Wed, September 27, 2023
Rebecca Cook/Reuters
Former President Donald Trump, while speaking at a non-unionized automotive parts supplier in Michigan, criticized President Joe Biden for announcing that he would join United Auto Workers striking on the picket lines days after Trump made his intentions known about traveling to the midwest state.
Biden “came to Michigan to pose for photos at the picket line,” as Trump put it, “but it’s his policies that sent Michigan auto workers to the unemployment line.”
“He only came after I announced that I would be here. You know he announced quite a bit later,” Trump said at Drake Enterprises, about 30 minutes from Detroit.
Biden revealed his plans last Friday—four days after The New York Times reported that his predecessor was planning a trip of his own.
“He spoke for a few seconds,” Trump added dismissively.
Biden Campaign Trolls Trump, Airs Ads on Fox During GOP Debate
Trump spent most of his speech criticizing the U.S. president, instead of his 2024 GOP candidate opponents who took to the stage for the second GOP primary debate in California moments after Trump’s appearance.
The former president had previously confirmed he would skip the event in favor of his Michigan trip, claiming his impressive lead in the polls meant there was no point.
The auto industry, under Biden, was “being assassinated,” Trump claimed, arguing that the advance of electric vehicles will ultimately crush manufacturing in the state.
On Tuesday, Biden became the first sitting president in U.S. history to join a picket line, telling the striking workers, “The middle class built this country. And unions built the middle class. That’s a fact. Let’s keep going. You deserve what you’ve earned, and you’ve earned a hell of a lot more than you get paid now.”
Biden had been invited by UAW President Shawn Fain, whose group had endorsed Biden in the lead-up to the 2020 election but has not yet given its support this time around mainly due to concerns over the president’s electric vehicle initiative.
Yet Fain had even tougher words for Trump in an interview Tuesday.
“I see no point in meeting with him because I don’t think the man has any bit of care about what our workers stand for, what the working class stands for,” Fain said on CNN. “He serves the billionaire class and that’s what’s wrong with this country.”
Skipping GOP debate, Trump instead goes to Michigan to criticize EV mandate
Wed, September 27, 2023
Rebecca Cook/Reuters
Former President Donald Trump, while speaking at a non-unionized automotive parts supplier in Michigan, criticized President Joe Biden for announcing that he would join United Auto Workers striking on the picket lines days after Trump made his intentions known about traveling to the midwest state.
Biden “came to Michigan to pose for photos at the picket line,” as Trump put it, “but it’s his policies that sent Michigan auto workers to the unemployment line.”
“He only came after I announced that I would be here. You know he announced quite a bit later,” Trump said at Drake Enterprises, about 30 minutes from Detroit.
Biden revealed his plans last Friday—four days after The New York Times reported that his predecessor was planning a trip of his own.
“He spoke for a few seconds,” Trump added dismissively.
Biden Campaign Trolls Trump, Airs Ads on Fox During GOP Debate
Trump spent most of his speech criticizing the U.S. president, instead of his 2024 GOP candidate opponents who took to the stage for the second GOP primary debate in California moments after Trump’s appearance.
The former president had previously confirmed he would skip the event in favor of his Michigan trip, claiming his impressive lead in the polls meant there was no point.
The auto industry, under Biden, was “being assassinated,” Trump claimed, arguing that the advance of electric vehicles will ultimately crush manufacturing in the state.
On Tuesday, Biden became the first sitting president in U.S. history to join a picket line, telling the striking workers, “The middle class built this country. And unions built the middle class. That’s a fact. Let’s keep going. You deserve what you’ve earned, and you’ve earned a hell of a lot more than you get paid now.”
Biden had been invited by UAW President Shawn Fain, whose group had endorsed Biden in the lead-up to the 2020 election but has not yet given its support this time around mainly due to concerns over the president’s electric vehicle initiative.
Yet Fain had even tougher words for Trump in an interview Tuesday.
“I see no point in meeting with him because I don’t think the man has any bit of care about what our workers stand for, what the working class stands for,” Fain said on CNN. “He serves the billionaire class and that’s what’s wrong with this country.”
Skipping GOP debate, Trump instead goes to Michigan to criticize EV mandate
Adam Schrader & Sheri Walsh
Wed, September 27, 2023
Former President Donald Trump, who skipped the GOP debate, blasted the Biden administration's EV mandate during a speech Wednesday at non-union car parts manufacturer Drake Enterprises in Michigan, calling the mandate a "government assassination of your jobs." The event comes amid the ongoing United Auto Workers strike against Ford Motor Co., Stellantis and General Motors.
File photo by John Angelillo/UPIMore
Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Former President Donald Trump skipped the second Republican debate in California and spent Wednesday evening in Michigan instead, blasting the Biden administration's EV mandate during a speech at non-union car parts manufacturer Drake Enterprises.
Trump made his trip to Michigan as the United Auto Workers union strike against Ford Motor Co., Stellantis and General Motors rolled into Day 13.
Trump spent much of his hourlong speech targeting President Joe Biden's electric vehicle mandate, calling it "a government assassination of your jobs and of your industry."
He added that "current strikes and contracts will not matter in the future," as Trump claimed "they will be building those cars in China and other places."
"Biden's job-killing EV mandate has dictated that nearly 70% of all cars sold in the United States must be fully electric less than 10 years from now," Trump said as he also focused on EV's short range and the "panic about where to get a charge."
"Electric cars don't go far enough and they're far, far too expensive," Trump said as he called for "a future that protects American labor, not foreign labor."
"I want to salute these truly great Americans who do not get the credit they deserve. Now they want to go all electric and put you all out of business," Trump claimed.
Trump's visit to Drake Enterprises, a Clinton Township, Mich., company that opposes the Biden administration's shift to electric vehicles, was announced in a post to Facebook on Tuesday.
"In 2019, we rolled out an employee engagement program centered on patriotism and support for America," the company said in its post Wednesday. "This program has sought to encourage our workforce to embody the American Dream, whatever that may be for each employee. With that said, we value this opportunity and are honored to provide a platform to one of America's former leaders."
"I side with the autoworkers of America and with those who want to make America great again and I always will," Trump said, adding "I'm thrilled to be back with the workers, the UAW members and proud patriots of the great state of Michigan."
While Trump spent much of his speech taking shots at the Biden administration, he made a passing reference to the GOP debate also underway in California.
"You know we're competing with the job candidates. They're all running for a job. They'll do anything," Trump said, adding "Does anyone see a V.P. in the group? I don't think so."
Trump also spent much of his speech talking about his term as president, what has changed since he left office and what he would do with a second term.
"Now I put everything on the line to fight for you. I've risked it all to defend working class from the corrupt, political class that has spent decades sucking the life, wealth and blood out of this country," Trump said, as he began to outline his "vision for a revival of economic nationalism and our automobile vehicle lifeblood."
"I want a future that protects American labor, not foreign labor. A future that puts American dreams over foreign profits, and a future that raises American wages and strengthens American industry," Trump said, before warning that "Under crooked Joe Biden, instead of economic nationalism, you have ultra left-wing globalism."
Trump's remarks came less than a day after the Trump campaign criticized Biden for joining Detroit-area picket lines in support of the union, calling it in a statement a "PR stunt" to "distract and gaslight the American people."
"Yesterday, Joe Biden came to Michigan to pose for photos at the picket lines," he said as the crowd booed. "He spoke for a few seconds and had absolutely no idea what he was saying," Trump claimed, adding, "He wants electrical vehicle mandates that will spell the death of the U.S. auto industry."
"He's selling you out to China, he's selling you out to the environmental extremists and the radical left people who have no idea how bad this is going to be," as Trump emphasized how bad used car batteries are for the environment.
"A vote for crooked Joe means the future of the auto industry will be made in China. A vote for President Trump means the future for the automobile will be made in America, where it should be," Trump said to loud cheers, before referencing the numerous indictments he faces.
"I am working for you, not for me. I will always have your back," Trump said, as he added, "I could have the softest, nicest life, instead I have to beat these lunatics up all day long. I'd never heard of the word indictment, now I hear it every three days."
Trump also blasted "Biden's war on energy," as he compared gas prices during his administration to higher gas prices now.
"I think they want that. That way you'll go all electric so you can drive for 15 minutes before you have to get a charge."
And Trump discussed trade deals and ending "the disaster known as NAFTA."
"With the USMCA, 75% of every car under that deal must be made in North America," Trump said, adding "and perhaps my greatest unsung achievement, I kept Chinese cars the hell out of America. I imposed a whopping 27.5% tariff and tax on all Chinese automobiles coming into our country," Trump said, adding "and it remains in place to this day."
As Trump worked to make his case for an endorsement, UAW president Shawn Fain called it "pathetic irony" that Trump's rally, purported to be in support of union workers, was held at a non-union business as he blasted the former president for his anti-union record in an interview with CNN.
Fain said Trump blamed members of the powerful union for the 2008 recession and then, in 2019, failed to stand by union members when the UAW issued a strike against General Motors. He said he sees "no point" in meeting with Trump during his visit.
"I don't think the man has any bit of care about what our workers stand for, what the working class stands for. He serves a billionaire class, and that's what's wrong with this country," Fain said.
When asked if that qualified as an endorsement for President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election, Fain held back -- indicating his comments simply reflected his personal views of Trump. The UAW did endorse Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump makes play for Michigan’s working-class voters as he skips GOP debate
Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Former President Donald Trump skipped the second Republican debate in California and spent Wednesday evening in Michigan instead, blasting the Biden administration's EV mandate during a speech at non-union car parts manufacturer Drake Enterprises.
Trump made his trip to Michigan as the United Auto Workers union strike against Ford Motor Co., Stellantis and General Motors rolled into Day 13.
Trump spent much of his hourlong speech targeting President Joe Biden's electric vehicle mandate, calling it "a government assassination of your jobs and of your industry."
He added that "current strikes and contracts will not matter in the future," as Trump claimed "they will be building those cars in China and other places."
"Biden's job-killing EV mandate has dictated that nearly 70% of all cars sold in the United States must be fully electric less than 10 years from now," Trump said as he also focused on EV's short range and the "panic about where to get a charge."
"Electric cars don't go far enough and they're far, far too expensive," Trump said as he called for "a future that protects American labor, not foreign labor."
"I want to salute these truly great Americans who do not get the credit they deserve. Now they want to go all electric and put you all out of business," Trump claimed.
Trump's visit to Drake Enterprises, a Clinton Township, Mich., company that opposes the Biden administration's shift to electric vehicles, was announced in a post to Facebook on Tuesday.
"In 2019, we rolled out an employee engagement program centered on patriotism and support for America," the company said in its post Wednesday. "This program has sought to encourage our workforce to embody the American Dream, whatever that may be for each employee. With that said, we value this opportunity and are honored to provide a platform to one of America's former leaders."
"I side with the autoworkers of America and with those who want to make America great again and I always will," Trump said, adding "I'm thrilled to be back with the workers, the UAW members and proud patriots of the great state of Michigan."
While Trump spent much of his speech taking shots at the Biden administration, he made a passing reference to the GOP debate also underway in California.
"You know we're competing with the job candidates. They're all running for a job. They'll do anything," Trump said, adding "Does anyone see a V.P. in the group? I don't think so."
Trump also spent much of his speech talking about his term as president, what has changed since he left office and what he would do with a second term.
"Now I put everything on the line to fight for you. I've risked it all to defend working class from the corrupt, political class that has spent decades sucking the life, wealth and blood out of this country," Trump said, as he began to outline his "vision for a revival of economic nationalism and our automobile vehicle lifeblood."
"I want a future that protects American labor, not foreign labor. A future that puts American dreams over foreign profits, and a future that raises American wages and strengthens American industry," Trump said, before warning that "Under crooked Joe Biden, instead of economic nationalism, you have ultra left-wing globalism."
Trump's remarks came less than a day after the Trump campaign criticized Biden for joining Detroit-area picket lines in support of the union, calling it in a statement a "PR stunt" to "distract and gaslight the American people."
"Yesterday, Joe Biden came to Michigan to pose for photos at the picket lines," he said as the crowd booed. "He spoke for a few seconds and had absolutely no idea what he was saying," Trump claimed, adding, "He wants electrical vehicle mandates that will spell the death of the U.S. auto industry."
"He's selling you out to China, he's selling you out to the environmental extremists and the radical left people who have no idea how bad this is going to be," as Trump emphasized how bad used car batteries are for the environment.
"A vote for crooked Joe means the future of the auto industry will be made in China. A vote for President Trump means the future for the automobile will be made in America, where it should be," Trump said to loud cheers, before referencing the numerous indictments he faces.
"I am working for you, not for me. I will always have your back," Trump said, as he added, "I could have the softest, nicest life, instead I have to beat these lunatics up all day long. I'd never heard of the word indictment, now I hear it every three days."
Trump also blasted "Biden's war on energy," as he compared gas prices during his administration to higher gas prices now.
"I think they want that. That way you'll go all electric so you can drive for 15 minutes before you have to get a charge."
And Trump discussed trade deals and ending "the disaster known as NAFTA."
"With the USMCA, 75% of every car under that deal must be made in North America," Trump said, adding "and perhaps my greatest unsung achievement, I kept Chinese cars the hell out of America. I imposed a whopping 27.5% tariff and tax on all Chinese automobiles coming into our country," Trump said, adding "and it remains in place to this day."
As Trump worked to make his case for an endorsement, UAW president Shawn Fain called it "pathetic irony" that Trump's rally, purported to be in support of union workers, was held at a non-union business as he blasted the former president for his anti-union record in an interview with CNN.
Fain said Trump blamed members of the powerful union for the 2008 recession and then, in 2019, failed to stand by union members when the UAW issued a strike against General Motors. He said he sees "no point" in meeting with Trump during his visit.
"I don't think the man has any bit of care about what our workers stand for, what the working class stands for. He serves a billionaire class, and that's what's wrong with this country," Fain said.
When asked if that qualified as an endorsement for President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election, Fain held back -- indicating his comments simply reflected his personal views of Trump. The UAW did endorse Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump makes play for Michigan’s working-class voters as he skips GOP debate
Kristen Holmes, Alayna Treene and Daniel Strauss,
CNN
Wed, September 27, 2023
Matthew Hatcher/AFP/Getty Images
Donald Trump, the front-runner in the GOP presidential primary race, may not have gotten a welcome from union leaders as warm as President Joe Biden did in Michigan when he skipped the second GOP debate and instead addressed current and former union members outside Detroit.
But his decision is laying the groundwork for a 2024 general election battle over the working-class voters who helped propel him to the White House in 2016 but favored Biden in 2020. It’s the clearest signal yet of the campaign’s shifting focus to the general election and specifically a potential Trump vs. Biden rematch.
Trump used his time at Drake Enterprises, a non-union auto parts supplier in Clint Township, to appeal to the group of current and former union workers gathered there. He sought to cast himself as a fighter for union workers, seeking their leaders’ endorsement for president as he delivered a sustained attack on Biden’s electric vehicle policies.
“But your leadership should endorse me, and I will not say a bad thing about them again,” said Trump, who recently criticized the head of United Auto Workers – a key labor union currently on strike.
Ahead of Trump’s visit – which came just one day after Biden was greeted by UAW President Shawn Fain and made the unprecedented move of joining striking autoworkers on the picket line – the president’s campaign rolled out a new ad criticizing Trump’s treatment of autoworkers. Titled “Delivers,” the 30-second contrast spot is the Biden campaign’s first to directly attack the former president.
The United Auto Workers backed Biden in 2020, but it hasn’t made an endorsement yet for 2024. And despite Fain’s criticism of Trump’s planned visit – which was announced before Biden’s – the former president’s team believes he can drive a wedge between union leadership and the rank-and-file workers, many of whom supported him in 2016.
“The reality is that there’s a disconnect between the political leadership of some of the labor unions and the working middle class employees that they purport to represent,” Trump senior campaign adviser Jason Miller told CNN.
Trump allies began floating the idea of a visit shortly after the strike began, while his team was reaching out to Michigan Republicans to gauge interest.
GOP debate counterprogramming
Trump allies were also encouraged by the timing of the speech, which they saw as more effective counterprogramming to the debate than his sit-down interview with Tucker Carlson that aired during the first Republican primary debate in August, two GOP strategists told CNN. “In Detroit, he’ll actually be speaking to voters that he needs to win over,” one of the strategists said.
The former president, in his remarks, briefly referenced the competing second Republican presidential debate, saying, “You know we’re competing with the job candidates; they’re all running for a job. No, they’re all job candidates – they want to be in the – they’ll do anything – secretary of something. They even say VP. I don’t know. Does anybody see any VP in the group? I don’t think so.”
The suburban Macomb County, where Trump spoke, is historically a blue-collar stronghold where the “Reagan Democrat” voter emerged. Trump won it by about 11 percentage points in 2016 and 8 points in 2020. More recently, the county has been something of a battleground. In 2022, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won the county by 5 points.
“Macomb County has a big batch of union members and they’re a pro-Trump county, but not by much,” said Barry Goodman, a former Michigan Democratic National Committeeman.
Biden won Michigan union households by 25 points in 2020, according to CNN exit poll data – up from Hillary Clinton’s 13-point advantage among them four years earlier. But Trump’s visit to Macomb, in particular, suggests the former president and his team see some of those voters as up for grabs in 2024.
“The people working on the floor – blue-collar, average guys working hourly for the Big Three – supported Donald Trump because they have traditional values, they own guns, they don’t want their gun rights taken away or restricted. They’re predominantly anti-abortion,” said Brian Pannebecker, a staunch Trump supporter and president of Auto Workers for Trump, who rallied supporters – both union and nonunion workers, including some UAW strikers.
Trump addressed some of those supporters Wednesday, when he spoke to autoworkers, plumbers, electricians, and current and former union members, including some UAW members and their families. He criticized Biden for coming to Michigan “to pose for photos at the picket line” and attacked the president’s policies, which he argued “send Michigan autoworkers to the unemployment line.”
“That’s why I’m here tonight to lay out a vision for a revival of economic nationalism and our automobile manufacturing life blood, which they’re sucking out of our country. I want a future that protects American labor, not foreign labor. A future that puts American dreams over foreign profits,” Trump said.
Trump advisers see opening
The former president’s advisers told CNN they saw an opening with autoworker voters, in particular, because of Biden’s push for electric vehicle production, which Trump has recently begun referring to as an all “electric car hoax,” while also claiming it will move autoworker jobs overseas.
Early in his presidency, Biden announced a target that, by 2030, half of the vehicles sold in the United States would be battery electric, fuel-cell electric or plug-in hybrid, which would be a seismic shift for an auto industry dominated by gas-powered vehicles. Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency released new proposed rules to speed up the process and ensure two-thirds of new cars sold in the US are electric by 2032.
Miller called the movement toward electric vehicles “a direct threat to every UAW worker in Michigan working on gas-powered vehicles.”
The president of Drake Enterprises, the non-union auto parts manufacturer where Trump delivered his speech, echoed this sentiment. “If electric vehicles took over today … we’d pretty much be out of business,” Drake’s Nathan Stemple told Fox News. “If all the trucks and vehicles went electric, we would be scratching for something to do.”
Some members of the UAW have feared Biden’s push for more electric vehicles could threaten its members’ jobs since EVs require fewer people to assemble. Earlier this year, Fain publicly criticized Biden over his administration’s financial support for such a transition. However, on Tuesday Fain told reporters that he believes a move toward electric vehicles does not hurt his union if “companies do the right thing.”
Trump’s rhetoric has little to do with the cause of the ongoing strike, which includes demands for wage hikes and a roll back of previous concessions.
Despite Trump’s history of clashes with unions and his administration’s policies that union leaders have called “pro-business,” the former president has recently tried to cast himself on the side of autoworkers, while not weighing in directly on the strikers’ specific wage concerns.
That hasn’t sat well with union leaders. “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 recently told CNN, responding to Trump’s planned visit.
“We can’t keep electing billionaires and millionaires that don’t have any understanding what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to get by and expecting them to solve the problems of the working class,” he said in an emailed statement.
Biden does have the backing of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters, whose president pegged Trump as out of touch on the issues important to union workers.
“After four years, one thing was clear: when it comes to the bread and butter issues our members care about – fair wages, safe job sites, and the ability to retire with the dignity we earned – Donald Trump is just another fraud,” UA General President Mark McManus said in a recent statement.
That’s the message Biden’s campaign is leaning into in their new ad, which questions Trump’s support for autoworkers and features footage of him golfing. “Manufacturing is coming back to Michigan because Joe Biden doesn’t just talk, he delivers,” the narrator continues, underscoring the importance of the pivotal battleground for the 2024 race.
This story and headline have been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Jack Forrest, Kate Sullivan and Kim Berryman contributed to this report.
Wed, September 27, 2023
Matthew Hatcher/AFP/Getty Images
Donald Trump, the front-runner in the GOP presidential primary race, may not have gotten a welcome from union leaders as warm as President Joe Biden did in Michigan when he skipped the second GOP debate and instead addressed current and former union members outside Detroit.
But his decision is laying the groundwork for a 2024 general election battle over the working-class voters who helped propel him to the White House in 2016 but favored Biden in 2020. It’s the clearest signal yet of the campaign’s shifting focus to the general election and specifically a potential Trump vs. Biden rematch.
Trump used his time at Drake Enterprises, a non-union auto parts supplier in Clint Township, to appeal to the group of current and former union workers gathered there. He sought to cast himself as a fighter for union workers, seeking their leaders’ endorsement for president as he delivered a sustained attack on Biden’s electric vehicle policies.
“But your leadership should endorse me, and I will not say a bad thing about them again,” said Trump, who recently criticized the head of United Auto Workers – a key labor union currently on strike.
Ahead of Trump’s visit – which came just one day after Biden was greeted by UAW President Shawn Fain and made the unprecedented move of joining striking autoworkers on the picket line – the president’s campaign rolled out a new ad criticizing Trump’s treatment of autoworkers. Titled “Delivers,” the 30-second contrast spot is the Biden campaign’s first to directly attack the former president.
The United Auto Workers backed Biden in 2020, but it hasn’t made an endorsement yet for 2024. And despite Fain’s criticism of Trump’s planned visit – which was announced before Biden’s – the former president’s team believes he can drive a wedge between union leadership and the rank-and-file workers, many of whom supported him in 2016.
“The reality is that there’s a disconnect between the political leadership of some of the labor unions and the working middle class employees that they purport to represent,” Trump senior campaign adviser Jason Miller told CNN.
Trump allies began floating the idea of a visit shortly after the strike began, while his team was reaching out to Michigan Republicans to gauge interest.
GOP debate counterprogramming
Trump allies were also encouraged by the timing of the speech, which they saw as more effective counterprogramming to the debate than his sit-down interview with Tucker Carlson that aired during the first Republican primary debate in August, two GOP strategists told CNN. “In Detroit, he’ll actually be speaking to voters that he needs to win over,” one of the strategists said.
The former president, in his remarks, briefly referenced the competing second Republican presidential debate, saying, “You know we’re competing with the job candidates; they’re all running for a job. No, they’re all job candidates – they want to be in the – they’ll do anything – secretary of something. They even say VP. I don’t know. Does anybody see any VP in the group? I don’t think so.”
The suburban Macomb County, where Trump spoke, is historically a blue-collar stronghold where the “Reagan Democrat” voter emerged. Trump won it by about 11 percentage points in 2016 and 8 points in 2020. More recently, the county has been something of a battleground. In 2022, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won the county by 5 points.
“Macomb County has a big batch of union members and they’re a pro-Trump county, but not by much,” said Barry Goodman, a former Michigan Democratic National Committeeman.
Biden won Michigan union households by 25 points in 2020, according to CNN exit poll data – up from Hillary Clinton’s 13-point advantage among them four years earlier. But Trump’s visit to Macomb, in particular, suggests the former president and his team see some of those voters as up for grabs in 2024.
“The people working on the floor – blue-collar, average guys working hourly for the Big Three – supported Donald Trump because they have traditional values, they own guns, they don’t want their gun rights taken away or restricted. They’re predominantly anti-abortion,” said Brian Pannebecker, a staunch Trump supporter and president of Auto Workers for Trump, who rallied supporters – both union and nonunion workers, including some UAW strikers.
Trump addressed some of those supporters Wednesday, when he spoke to autoworkers, plumbers, electricians, and current and former union members, including some UAW members and their families. He criticized Biden for coming to Michigan “to pose for photos at the picket line” and attacked the president’s policies, which he argued “send Michigan autoworkers to the unemployment line.”
“That’s why I’m here tonight to lay out a vision for a revival of economic nationalism and our automobile manufacturing life blood, which they’re sucking out of our country. I want a future that protects American labor, not foreign labor. A future that puts American dreams over foreign profits,” Trump said.
Trump advisers see opening
The former president’s advisers told CNN they saw an opening with autoworker voters, in particular, because of Biden’s push for electric vehicle production, which Trump has recently begun referring to as an all “electric car hoax,” while also claiming it will move autoworker jobs overseas.
Early in his presidency, Biden announced a target that, by 2030, half of the vehicles sold in the United States would be battery electric, fuel-cell electric or plug-in hybrid, which would be a seismic shift for an auto industry dominated by gas-powered vehicles. Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency released new proposed rules to speed up the process and ensure two-thirds of new cars sold in the US are electric by 2032.
Miller called the movement toward electric vehicles “a direct threat to every UAW worker in Michigan working on gas-powered vehicles.”
The president of Drake Enterprises, the non-union auto parts manufacturer where Trump delivered his speech, echoed this sentiment. “If electric vehicles took over today … we’d pretty much be out of business,” Drake’s Nathan Stemple told Fox News. “If all the trucks and vehicles went electric, we would be scratching for something to do.”
Some members of the UAW have feared Biden’s push for more electric vehicles could threaten its members’ jobs since EVs require fewer people to assemble. Earlier this year, Fain publicly criticized Biden over his administration’s financial support for such a transition. However, on Tuesday Fain told reporters that he believes a move toward electric vehicles does not hurt his union if “companies do the right thing.”
Trump’s rhetoric has little to do with the cause of the ongoing strike, which includes demands for wage hikes and a roll back of previous concessions.
Despite Trump’s history of clashes with unions and his administration’s policies that union leaders have called “pro-business,” the former president has recently tried to cast himself on the side of autoworkers, while not weighing in directly on the strikers’ specific wage concerns.
That hasn’t sat well with union leaders. “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 recently told CNN, responding to Trump’s planned visit.
“We can’t keep electing billionaires and millionaires that don’t have any understanding what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to get by and expecting them to solve the problems of the working class,” he said in an emailed statement.
Biden does have the backing of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters, whose president pegged Trump as out of touch on the issues important to union workers.
“After four years, one thing was clear: when it comes to the bread and butter issues our members care about – fair wages, safe job sites, and the ability to retire with the dignity we earned – Donald Trump is just another fraud,” UA General President Mark McManus said in a recent statement.
That’s the message Biden’s campaign is leaning into in their new ad, which questions Trump’s support for autoworkers and features footage of him golfing. “Manufacturing is coming back to Michigan because Joe Biden doesn’t just talk, he delivers,” the narrator continues, underscoring the importance of the pivotal battleground for the 2024 race.
This story and headline have been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Jack Forrest, Kate Sullivan and Kim Berryman contributed to this report.
No comments:
Post a Comment