Former President Donald Trump criticized as “stupid” United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain while talking about bringing auto production back to the United States.
“They’ve got to build in the United States, and they have to hire U.S. workers and whether it’s union or nonunion,” Mr. Trump told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo in an interview that aired Sunday.
“Look, the United Auto Workers I know very well, they vote for me. They have a stupid person leading them, but they vote for me. They’re going to love Donald Trump more than ever before,” the GOP presidential nominee said.
“We’re going to create in that area, the most traditional area, we’re going to have more auto jobs than we’ve ever had,” he added. “We’re bringing back the automobile industry, and we’re going to do that with tariffs.”
He said the country is “going to take in a fortune, but we’re going to tariff those jobs.
“We want them to build auto plants in the United States,” Mr. Trump said.
“Those people in Michigan that love me and that I love, and then they’re going to give us a victory because their auto industry won’t exist in two years if [Vice President Kamala Harris] gets elected.”
Mr. Trump in March pledged during a rally in Ohio to put a 100% tariff on Chinese vehicle imports.
“We’re going to put a 100% tariff on every single car that comes across the line and you’re not going to be able to sell those cars,” he said.
The UAW endorsed Ms. Harris last week after having previously thrown its endorsement to President Biden, who has since dropped out.
Mr. Fain prompted the latest round of bickering with Mr. Trump by telling The Associated Press on Friday that the former real-estate tycoon doesn’t support anyone except his fellow billionaires.
“Trump has never supported working-class people. He has never supported unions,” Mr. Fain said. “But he sure as hell was trying to pander for our votes now.”
The union has clashed with the former president multiple times. Last month, the union called him a “scab and a billionaire.”
“We know which side we’re on,” the union wrote on X. “Not his.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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