Associated Press
Former President Donald Trump will travel to the battleground state of Michigan next week to meet with striking autoworkers instead of participating in the second Republican presidential debate, a person familiar with his plans said Monday.
Trump, who also skipped the first debate last month, signaled he is already focused on the 2024 election against President Joe Biden as he maintains a wide lead against his GOP rivals in primary polls. In recent days, he has been leaning hard into the strike, painting himself as sympathetic to the workers and accusing Biden of trying to destroy the car industry by expanding electric cars and other green energy policies.
The Sept. 27 trip, first reported by The New York Times, will also include a prime time speech, according to the person familiar with the plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity before they were made public.
That’s the date others in the GOP field will gather at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, for the cycle’s second primary debate.
When his fellow GOP contenders gathered in Milwaukee last month, Trump instead took part in a pretaped interview with Tucker Carlson, which aired on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter during the debate’s first hour.
Trump has long sought to paint himself as a fighter for the “forgotten men and women” of the working class and spent much of his 2016 campaign campaigning in Rust Belt towns suffering from the shift away from mining and manufacturing. Earlier this year, he visited East Palestine, Ohio, after a train derailment, a visit aides have considered a key moment in his campaign as he worked to recover from Midterm losses, and as they tried to move his focus away from his 2020 loss.
Ammar Moussa, a Biden campaign spokesperson, said Monday: “Donald Trump is going to Michigan next week to lie to Michigan workers and pretend he didn’t spend his entire failed presidency selling them out at every turn. Instead of standing with workers, Trump cut taxes for the super-wealthy while auto companies shuttered their doors and shipped American jobs overseas.” Moussa argued that Trump would have let auto companies go bankrupt during the financial crisis rather than bail them out, as President Barack Obama did in 2009.
On Monday, the United Auto Workers and Detroit’s Big Three carmakers resumed talks aimed at ending a strike now in its fourth day. Stellantis described the discussion as “constructive.” A spokesperson for General Motors said representatives of the company and the United Auto Workers were continuing to negotiate.
Dave Green, a UAW regional director in Ohio and Indiana, said the former President’s actions during his time in office give him “zero credibility” with organized labor now, adding that he doesn’t see a way the UAW would ever endorse Trump.
“His only intention here is to try and get votes for himself. And also divide our members against each other using political rhetoric,” Green told The AP on Monday.
Trump earlier this summer traveled to Michigan, where the Oakland County GOP honored him as its Man of the Decade. Asked about the strike in an interview that aired Sunday, he told NBC News that “auto workers will not have any jobs” because “electric cars, automatically, are going to be made in China.”
“The auto workers are being sold down the river by their leadership, and their leadership should endorse Trump,” he added.
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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
8 comments
My Take
September 19, 2023 at 8:02 am
A Republican who supports workers, industrial workers, UNION workers !?
Right.
You miģht as well believe in those Mexican space aliens.
Andrew
September 19, 2023 at 9:17 am
When GM Lordstown closed, 45 said he would as CEO of US save the plant.Then when GM closed the plant he blamed the UAW. 45 also said he would save Carrier jobs, union jobs, quietly they moved to Mexico, then again blaming the Union! 45 supported and still supports a National Righh-To-Work-for-less’ legislation. Destroyed the NLRB in his 4 years with anti-labor appointees. His Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, closed steel plants, screwing thousands of USW workers out of their pensions. 45 is only good at one thing, dividing the middle class with rhetoric, race, sexism, stupidity, and preying on the least educated citizens to follow his aura of ‘hate’!
Earl Pitts "Political Genious" American
September 20, 2023 at 9:58 am
Thank you Andrew,
I’m glad to hear you like 87.236% of all eligable conservative voters will line up to vote Desantis into office once I, Earl Pitts American give Trump the sign to withdraw and throw his support base behind Ron Desantis. At that time Andrew, the time known only to me, the time when the left will be blind-sided and unable to react, my perfect plan will go into motion. Andrew let not your heart be troubled by all the lies and rumors of lies from the Dook 4 Brains Left.
Once this is all over Andrew you will look back to this troubled time with a sly smile of satisfaction and say to yourself: “Thank God we had Earl Pitts American on our side. The side of right, Andrew, yes the side of Truth, Justice, and The American Way.”.
EPA
JD
September 20, 2023 at 5:48 pm
Your boy keeps dropping in the polls Shitts. All that sage advice you have doesn’t seem to be working.
Perhaps you need to examine your life choice and pack it in. Maybe you can get a job as a radio character. Lord knows you have the face for it.
Earl Pitts "Political Genious" American
September 19, 2023 at 10:40 am
Good mornting America,
I, Earl Pitts American, have coached “The Donald” on what to say and how to say it to the striking auto workers. Don Jr. called me last night, crying into his phone and begging me to help coach his Dad on how to look great and in charge at the meeting.
*Note to The Earl Pitts American Fan Club Accounting Department: We are doing this advisment as a charatiable donation so be sure we write off $7,365,193.84 as a charatiable donation on our 2023 business tax returns.*
Some of the suggestions:
Ask them if Ford’s assembly plants in Mexico and other outside the USA countries are also striking. Note the Ford eco motors are assembled in Europe.
This question to strikers of to all manufactures:
Are the minor children in Africa who are forced to dig up the lithium for your EV’s also striking?
Also the other striking Automakers do the same by outside the USA assemply and other work.
Note: I dont know if Trump still has the testicular fortitude to even ask these contiversial questions.
Thank you America,
Be sure to watch Trump talking to the strikers and know about 85% of what you hear him say came right out of the mouth of me, Earl Pitts American.
EPA
Richard Russell
September 19, 2023 at 2:08 pm
President Trump, do not forget your base of hard working non-union American Patriots. We are the silent majority.
Sonja Fitch
September 20, 2023 at 5:46 am
Lordy Lordy fellow trump
You ain’t fooling no one! I
Smell fear trump! Trump would and should get his ass kicked in a debate! Lol
marcus
September 20, 2023 at 7:36 am
DONALD TRUMP, A man for the people!
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