Trump Bluntly Asks ‘Democrat’ UAW Union for Endorsement
Trump once again entered enemy territory in Michigan last night telling union and non-union workers at an auto components and assembly plant outside Detroit why the UAW should endorse him for president and why workers should vote for him…
Clinton, MI–September 27, 2023–Donald J. Trump went into the lion’s den yet again last night and delivered a serious policy address to 300 invite-only workers at the Drake Enterprises manufacturing facility just north of Detroit.
As a Republican president, he made a plain-spoken powerful case to UAW President, Sean Fain last night, who is no fan of the former president and heads the powerful auto union that traditionally only endorses Democrats, to back him as president in 2024.
Thousands of union and non-union auto industry workers alike who could not get in to the venue to hear the former president speak lined the streets for hours to support Trump cheering, “We love Trump, we want Trump…”
“The great Dan Scavino” whom the president singled out for praise from the podium, posted yet another great video that captured the MAGA-hat, American flag-waving enthusiasm from the crowd. Click here for the video.
Real America’s Voice, Steve Gruber, a Michigander, conducted man-on-the-street interviews before the event. To no Trump supporters surprise, the people assembled before Trump’s speech were a cross-section of young, old, female, black as well as card-carrying union members. All sang his praises. Open link and listen at 13:10:
https://americasvoice.news/video/GWFhVkr3WXrrw8A/?related=playlist
Sean Fain, who refused to meet with Trump, met the day before with President Joe Biden. He was on the ground for all of 12 minutes in Detroit when he technically crossed striking UAW picket lines in the “one-minute eighteen seconds” he spent with them. Biden then flew to a fundraiser in L.A. Trump excoriated Biden’s visit saying, “He only came here because he knew I was coming,”
To remind, this crowd of auto workers — a mix of striking union workers and non-union workers — have been ordered to hate Trump or any Republican in their midst for years. Republicans, for their part, have steered clear of courting union votes seeing it as a lost cause just as they have traditionally not gone into black inner city neighborhoods looking for votes.
Underlining these traditional splits, Fain said in to CNN regarding the possibility of meeting with Trump as reported by The New York Times:
“I see no point in meeting with him [Trump] because I don’t think the man has any bit of care about what our workers stand for, what the working class stands for,†Mr. Fain said. “He [Trump] serves a billionaire class, and that’s what’s wrong with this country.â€
Trump to Autoworkers: “What difference does it make what deal you make if Joe sends your jobs to China? Vote Trump to Keep your Jobs!â€
In his hour-long address Trump unerringly and unflinchingly told workers that their future jobs will not be secure ‘no matter what you negotiate because of EV demands that will take all of your jobs away in a few years anyway.’
This speech was one of the most focused, direct appeals to this key constituency Trump has made in any of his campaigns. He appeared fresh and relaxed, and he was laser focused on making a case against Biden’s auto industry policies which he called ‘economic treason’ while expressing in no uncertain terms how he would protect workers jobs and protect the auto industry in general with his policies. Trump used the word ‘protect’ throughout his speech last night. He also introduced a new term — ‘economic nationalism’ — too define the thrust of his proposals aimed at solving the negative impact of ‘non-growth Bidenomics automobile and energy policies.’
Trump roasted Joe with these gems:
“Crooked Joe Biden is back like a wretched old vulture trying to finish off his prey.”
“Yesterday Joe Biden came to Michigan to pose for photos at the picket line, but it’s his policies that send Michigan auto workers to the unemployment line.” “He spoke for what, a few seconds?”
“The only time Joe Biden has ever gotten his hands dirty is when he’s taking cash from foreign countries— which is quite often, actually.”
Trump shared more than just quips. The meat of his proposals focused on the contrasts between his common sense solutions compared to Biden’s far-left lunatic job destroying regulations…
“It’s common sense. We want to have a border, we want to have good voting, we want to have same-day voting with all paper ballots, and we want to have a thing called voter ID,†Trump said. “Why did the Democrats not want voter ID? Because they want to cheat.”
Referring to the disastrous loss of manufacturing jobs the auto industry has undergone for decades, Trump poignantly said,
“How will we rescue auto manufacturing in the United States?”
“But let’s remember how we got here…for decades and decades and I’ve been talking about it for twelve years…long before I ever thought of becoming a politician…you’ve watched as rotten and crooked politicians like Joe Biden treat American jobs as disposable and American workers as expendable. They sat back and got rich by taking bribes to let other countries rape and pillage our jobs and our wealth.”
“His entire career has been an act of economic treason and union destruction shipping union jobs overseas and taking money hand over fist,” he added, “look at the money he’s taken from China!”
“I pledge to auto workers that a vote for Trump will mean automobiles will be made in America, where it should be. It will be a future fueled by American energy, sourced by American suppliers, sculpted by iron, aluminum, and steel workers hands, and built by high-wage American labor and American hands.”
He sternly warned the audience at intervals throughout his speech, saying, “Biden’s EV mandates will destroy the auto industry.” Trump cogently laid some facts:
- EVs will be the death of the auto industry here in America
- Today there are only 150,000 auto workers compared to 350,000 for UPS
- People are telling car companies they cannot afford to buy EVs at $60k-$100k
- Biden Energy Secretary, Jennifer Granholm, tried to drive across the country in an EV and she couldn’t because there are not enough charging stations
- 40% of existing UAW jobs will be eliminated by 2035 because of Biden’s all EV mandates that includes trucks
- Ford said they are losing $60,000 per EV vehicle yet the CEO and other auto CEOs making “$35 million a year” are not fighting against these mandates, they’re not fighting for you. “They’re gutless,” he added.
- EV batteries take up a lot of room in the car – they do in boats too. If a boat goes down, do you get electrocuted?
- And the batteries are bad for the environment
- They 100% want to get rid of the combustion engine in less than ten years
- We lost nearly 225,000 jobs in the auto industry alone here in Michigan
- 60,000 manufacturing facilities left the U.S. and went overseas in the last few decades
Trump iterated the same economic recovery plan he laid out in South Carolina earlier in the week called the Trump Reciprocal Trade Act. It consists mainly of laying tariffs on foreign-made goods coming into the U.S. while levying reciprocal tariffs on goods foreign countries levy on U.S. imports. “If it’s a 300% or 400% tariff, then that is what it is,” said Trump.
In his opening, Trump kicked off his speech by complimenting the American worker in general. He said, “You built this country and you love this country.” “You’re highly skilled high-wage workers and you deserve someone who will work for you, not politicians who work for themselves.”
“I side with you the American worker and I always will.”
“I will not allow the American auto industry to die; I want it to thrive.”
And making another sharp distinction between himself and Joe Biden, he flatly said:
“Biden is enriching his family; I want to enrich your family.”
Donald J. Trump, SPEECH TO mICHAGAN AUTO WORKERS (September 27, 2023)
In conclusion, former president Trump, the steward of the greatest economy in the history of the United States, went to Detroit, the automobile manufacturing capital of the world, to – as they say in sales parlance – ask for the order.
He not only made a direct plea to a live audience but he even broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to UAW head, Sean Fain, saying: “Sean, if you’re listening and we know you are, you need to endorse Trump. It will be suicide if you don’t.” To underscore he told auto workers, “Tell your union leaders to endorse me!”
Trump’s amalgam of moxie and humility in asking for an endorsement in succinct terms that is likely ungettable given the history of political endorsements from unions, contrasted sharply with the clown show the presidential hopefuls put on in their second RNC debate last night. Most morning-after pundits agreed that all these ‘hopefuls’ did was talk over each other like children.
Not one of the candidates on that stage showed they were honestly aware of the chasm that exists between their poll numbers and frontrunner, Donald Trump. They have zero chance of being the party’s nominee or of winning the White House. They did not even hint at lobbying for a job with a man who will likely be the next President of the United States.
Trump could not help but swipe at what he assumed of the debate proceedings:
“They even say VP [is on that stage]. I don’t know. Does anybody see any VP in the group? I don’t think so,†Trump said.
Watch it here: