Former President Donald Trump will skip the debate stage in California on Sept. 27. Instead, he will head to the Motor City that day to join striking union autoworkers as they call for better contract terms from the Big Three automakers, according to a source familiar with the plans.
Trump's forthcoming trip to Detroit is the latest play in his pitch as an attractive alternative to President Biden, the incumbent Democrat who won the UAW's coveted endorsement in 2020. Biden also won a solid majority of the votes of union households in that election, helping him carry battleground states including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all states that Trump had won in 2016.
In his Detroit speech, Trump may sense a political opportunity from the autoworkers strike, attempting to gain support from working-class Americans who are increasingly disappointed in the direction of the US economy. Trump’s rally would take place concurrently with the second Republican presidential primary debate in California, which Trump plans to skip. He also skipped the first debate.
The Hill has reached out to Fain and UAW.
As workers continue to stand on the picket line, demanding wage increases and benefits from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, Trump will deliver prime-time remarks to current and former union workers in Detroit instead of attending the second Republican presidential primary debate Sept. 27.
Trump, who won Michigan narrowly in 2016 but lost the state in 2020, may attempt to appeal to union workers, a critical voting block for President Biden and Democrats. But Fain said UAW’s message directly contrasts with who Trump is and what he represents.
Michigan Democrats Gov. Gretchen Whiter, U.S. Rep Debbie Dingell and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib joined Sen. Bernie Sanders during a UAW rally on Friday, marking the first day of the strike.
Fain put the Big Three on notice that the UAW will select more strike targets if a deal is not met by noon on Friday, Sept. 22.
So far, the UAW has not welcomed outside intervention in contract negotiations. After a supportive statement directly from Biden, Fain criticized his viewpoint that negotiations had broken down.
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