United Auto Workers slam Trump after he criticizes leader at GOP convention
The United Auto Workers slammed Donald Trump after he said its leader, Shawn Fain, should be fired for letting carmakers build factories outside the country during his remarks Thursday night at the Republican National Convention.
In his more than hour-long speech accepting his party's nomination for president, Trump went on a tangent and said China is using factories across the United States' southern border to make and sell cars to Americans. The former president's "America first' agenda and the party's messaging push to increase the number of products made in America was a recurring theme during the four-day convention in Milwaukee.
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"The United Auto Workers ought to be ashamed for allowing this to happen, and the leader of the United Auto Workers should be fired immediately," Trump said. "Every single autoworker, union and non-union, you should be voting for Donald Trump because we're going to bring back car manufacturing and we're gonna bring it back fast."
The union clapped back in a post on X, formerly Twitter, shortly after: "@realDonaldTrump is a scab and a billionaire and that's who he represents. We know which side we're on. Not his."
President Joe Biden became the first president to join a picket line when he walked with members of the UAW in Detroit last year when the union went on strike for increased wages. The union endorsed Biden in January but has some concerns about his viability as a candidate, Reuters reported.
During his speech, Trump took a jab at the president's administration, pledging to "end" a Biden Environmental Protection Agency rule put in place requiring that the majority of cars sold in the country be all-electric or hybrid by 2032.
The UAW's response to the former president's remarks were in sharp contrast to the support for Trump shown by Sean O'Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, earlier this week at the convention.
In his speech Thursday, Trump also promised that if companies based in other countries refuse to use American auto plants, he will impose a 100% to 200% tariff on each car, making them "unsellable" in the United States.
It's a promise that sounds similar to those he made on the campaign trail in 2016 to bring back manufacturing jobs, which did not come to fruition for many in communities across the country during his administration.
Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: United Auto Workers blast Trump after he attacks Shawn Fain at RNC