The UAW leader criticizes Trump for his plan to roll back investments in electric vehicles.
On Thursday, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain stated that hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs were in jeopardy if former President Donald Trump were to win the November 5th election and follow through on his threat to eliminate electric vehicle (EV) investments.
Democrats have capitalized on the fact that Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance from Ohio, has refused to commit to preserving a $500 million investment meant to help GM convert a Cadillac plant into an EV facility. Fain, who has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the election, emphasized that scrapping this funding could endanger around 650 jobs in Lansing, Michigan, and negatively affect jobs nationwide.
"It's much larger than just the Lansing Grand River project. It's factories across the United States and supply chain facilities nationwide that are being established. We're talking about hundreds of thousands of jobs that Donald Trump is casually discarding," Fain said to reporters ahead of Trump's visit to Detroit.
Vance faced criticism from the UAW last week for his vague responses on the GM plant funding. On Tuesday, he reiterated that neither he nor Trump ever claimed they would remove "any money benefiting Michigan auto workers" and argued that Biden's EV push threatens approximately 117,000 autoworker jobs. He also criticized Harris's proposal as insufficient, calling it "table scraps" compared to the perceived loss of jobs due to the shift to EVs, which are selling slower than gas-powered cars.
Harris clarified at a rally in Michigan that she had no intention of enforcing a full EV mandate, preferring to offer consumers choice and help companies remain competitive with China. Some autoworkers are concerned that the transition to EVs might reduce jobs in the industry, a notion Harris and her advisors dispute, asserting that EV parts will also be manufactured domestically.
Fain reiterated the UAW's endorsement of Harris, noting the Biden administration's 100% tariff on Chinese EVs to protect U.S. manufacturers. He dismissed claims that many autoworkers back Trump, citing internal polling showing that 65% of union members have consistently supported Democratic candidates.
"It's clear to us who stands with working-class Americans," Fain remarked, highlighting that Harris joined a picket line in 2019 when GM workers were on strike, whereas Trump remained silent during that time.
In August, Trump told Reuters that, if elected, he would consider scrapping the $7,500 tax credit for EV purchases from Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, claiming tax incentives are "not generally a very good thing." Trump could also attempt to reverse Treasury Department rules or urge Congress to repeal the credit, which was initially reduced under his administration but later expanded by Biden in 2022.