President Donald Trump has decided he will not attend the upcoming Republican primary debate this month, instead he will speak to a crowd of current and former union members in Detroit.
The event Trump will attend comes after a major labor strike involving thousands of United Auto Workers (UAW) members at three plants in Detroit.
United Auto Workers Union members staffed a strike against the “Big 3” manufacturers that began last week after no deal was reached.
The “Big 3” include Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors.
UAW President Shawn Fain said the strike would target three assembly plants initially:
- GM plant in Missouri
- Stellantis plant in Ohio
- Ford plant in Michigan
This is the first time all three manufacturers have been targeted simultaneously, and it could significantly impact the vehicle manufacturing industry.
On Monday, NBC News reported that Trump confirmed he would “counterprogram” the second Republican debate by speaking to autoworkers, plumbers, pipefitters, and electricians.
A campaign source says that Trump wants to speak to a crowd of more than 500 current and former union members, including plumbers, pipefitters, and electricians.
The autoworkers’ union itself reacted to Trump’s latest campaign strategy.
“Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement shared with CNBC.
“We can’t keep electing billionaires and millionaires that don’t have any understanding what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to get by and expecting them to solve the problems of the working class,” Fain’s statement said.
Fain said a second Trump term in the White House would be a “disaster.”
Trump skipped the first primary debate last month, opting for a pre-taped interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Trump’s statement posted to Truth Social:
“New CBS POLL, just out, has me leading the field by “legendary” numbers. TRUMP 62%, 46 Points above DeSanctimonious (who is crashing like an ailing bird!), Ramaswamy 7%, Pence 5%, Scott 3%, Haley 2%, Sloppy Chris Christie 2%, “Aida” Hutchinson 1%. The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”
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