Former President Trump said he never spoke to the United Auto Workers (UAW) and called the union a “hopeless case” after it endorsed President Biden for reelection last month.
“Well, I never spoke to UAW,” Trump told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo in an interview set to air Sunday.
“They’ve led their industry right into the poor house, and now they’ve finished it off because, if you — if Biden gets elected, you won’t have an autoworker working in the United States. Everything’s going over to China and other countries outside,” he said.
His comments come amid a back-and-forth between Trump and UAW President Shawn Fain since union endorsed Biden last week. Trump called Fain a “dope” who “bought into Biden’s ‘vision’” for election vehicles, while Fain said “Trump has a history of serving himself and standing for the billionaire class.”
Trump met Wednesday with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters president Sean O’Brien and said “stranger things have happened” when asked about a potential endorsement from the union. Fain said he can’t see “any way in hell” that Trump would get a union endorsement.
Biden on Wednesday traveled to Michigan to visit UAW members phone-banking ahead of the Michigan primary later this month, alongside Fain. He also sat down for private discussions with local UAW members.
Biden made the historic move to join the picket line with the UAW last year in the key swing state of Michigan. Trump, meanwhile, gave a speech in Michigan at a nonunion manufacturer in Clinton Township.
The UAW withheld its endorsement for Biden until late last month, citing concerns over the administration’s focus on electric vehicles.
Trump, in the interview with Fox Business, said the push for electric vehicles is “insane” because they cost too much.
“We have oil and gas, we have gasoline. And that’s what people want for the most part. Now say this: If you want to buy an electric car, you should be able to. But if you want to buy internal combustion, if you want to buy a hybrid, if you want to buy, you should have everything, everything for sale. Right now they have tens of thousands of of electric vehicles for sale. Nobody wants to buy them,” he said.
When asked what the main issue was for the Teamsters union, Trump said they didn’t talk about electric vehicles but instead discussed immigration.
“I don’t know if they’re worried, but I told them that in my opinion, the worst thing they can do is allow Biden to become president again,” Trump said.