President Trump criticized Harley-Davidson Inc. for waving the “white flag” of surrender Monday by announcing it will move some of its manufacturing operations to Europe to avoid higher tariffs.
“Surprised that Harley-Davidson, of all companies, would be the first to wave the White Flag,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “I fought hard for them and ultimately they will not pay tariffs selling into the E.U., which has hurt us badly on trade, down $151 Billion. Taxes just a Harley excuse - be patient!”
Sen. Ben Sasse, Nebraska Republican, said Mr. Trump’s tweet “will go over like a Vespa at Sturgis,” referring to the annual motorcycle rally in South Dakota.
“The problem isn’t that Harley is unpatriotic - it’s that tariffs are stupid,” Mr. Sasse said. “They’re tax increases on Americans, they don’t work, and apparently we’re going to see more of this.”
The motorcycle manufacturer based in Wisconsin said Monday it will move some operations to Europe to avoid a much higher tariff by the EU, which is retaliating for Mr. Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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