- U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Michigan Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich and Percy Johnson, a local auto worker, held a virtual press conference to highlight President Donald Trump’s trade actions and record on auto jobs as well as the Biden-Harris campaign’s plans for Michigan on Wednesday afternoon.
- Stabenow opened the press conference by criticizing the Trump administration’s response to problems with manufacturing as jobs in the sector continue to disappear. She cited stark differences between former Vice President Joe Biden and Trump.
- “I had to explain every single day to this administration why manufacturing is important,” Stabenow said. “They talk a good game all the time and then they do the opposite, and actions speak louder than words.”
- Stabenow described Trump’s policies as chaotic and cited Biden as the solution to these challenges. Biden’s campaign touts his credentials on the subject after the Obama administration bailed out the auto industry during the Great Recession.
- “Joe Biden is looking to the future, he is talking about a bold plan that invests in education and technology development for the future,” Stabenow said. “We’re making these new vehicles in Michigan, we’re going to be the ones at the front of the line of new technologies and electric vehicles and it involves education and training and development and research … all things that are, frankly, in Joe Biden’s plan.”
- Johnson said he’s concerned about Trump’s ability to follow through on his promises of improving the auto industry.
- “Being an auto worker in this pandemic, along with the president and his erratic trade, I listen to him talk about saying what he is going to do and then I look at the actions of what he actually does, and he doesn’t ever do what he said he’s going to,” Johnson said.
- Johnson said the Trump administration’s ideas about trade are not producing the results people need and discussed his personal plans to encourage employees to vote for change in the November general election.
- “We have a lot of people waking up every day with fear,” Johnson said. “(Trump is) allowed to talk and say what he is going to do with trade, but then we don’t see any results. So, I’m really one that will be working as hard as I can to encourage my workers to get out and vote and look at who they are supporting.”
- Ananich spoke about Trump’s policies more broadly, including the handling of the economy and of the pandemic from a health care perspective.
- “We’re basically here today to hold President Trump accountable for being reckless with the American economy, American jobs and also unfortunately American lives,” Ananich said. “I’m so shocked and frustrated, just last week (Trump) announced a tariff on aluminum from Canada just a month after their negotiated trade deal went into effect … the kind of moves he makes and his failed ability to move forward and look ahead, the domino effect this will cause.”
