Donald Trump has been criticised for seemingly insulting automotive workers in the US, claiming those that work for some brands do jobs which could be completed by a child.
Speaking at the Economic Club of Chicago, Mr Trump – who is the Republican Party candidate for next month’s presidential election – threatened to place tariffs on German carmakers who make parts overseas for vehicles built in the US.
“We’re going to put tariffs on them and they’re going to do—and you know what they can do? Then Mercedes-Benz will start building in the United States,” said the former president.
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“And they have a little bit, but you know what they really are? Assembly, like in South Carolina. But they build everything in Germany, and then they assemble it here.
“They get away with murder because they say, ‘oh, yes, we’re building cars’. They don’t build cars. They take them out of a box and they assemble them.
“We could have our child do it.”
In South Carolina, Mercedes-Benz builds vans in Ladson, while BMW produces multiple SUVs at Spartanburg.
Other foreign carmakers which build vehicles in the US include Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Lexus, Volkswagen, Volvo and Polestar.
Mercedes-Benz Vans South Carolina team, circa 2006
The former president has made the automotive industry a major focus of his campaign, firing up at the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in July for its role in letting carmakers build vehicles south of the border.
“Large factories are being built across the border in Mexico, so with all the other things happening at our border. They are being built by China to make cars and sell into our country with no tax or anything,” he said.
“The United Auto Workers ought to be ashamed for allowing this to happen and the leader of the UAW [Shawn Fain] should be fired immediately.
“We are going to bring back car manufacturing and we are going to bring it back fast.”
BMW XM being built in the US
Mr Trump’s most recent comments drew the ire of Mr Fain, who criticised the presidential candidate online.
“Donald Trump is a billionaire who’s never worked a real job in his life. He doesn’t know the first thing about hard work, and he wouldn’t last a day in an auto plant,” said Mr Fain via the UAW on X (formerly Twitter).
“He isn’t fit to be an autoworker, and he certainly isn’t fit to be the President. Trump doesn’t understand us, he doesn’t respect us, and he certainly doesn’t represent us.
“Trump doesn’t care about autoworkers. The only thing Donald Trump wants from autoworkers is a vote. Donald Trump is a scab!”
Michigan American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) trade union president Ron Bieber also called the former president’s comments an attack on its members.
“Trump is attacking auto workers on almost a daily basis and it’s clear he couldn’t have less respect for the work we do,” Mr Bieber said in a media statement.
“Donald Trump has never done a hard day’s work in his life. If he thinks working at an auto plant is so easy a child could do it, then he should be the first in line to try.
“Until Trump actually understands the skill it takes to build a vehicle with your bare hands, he should keep autoworkers out of his lying mouth.”
Democratic presidential nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris has received the support of the UAW, which could help her win the state of Michigan – a state crucial to her chances of winning the White House.
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