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The Triad

Biden, Trump, the UAW, and the Upside Down

The autoworkers’ strike shows why we can’t have nice things.

Jonathan V. Last's avatar
Jonathan V. Last
September 19, 2023∙ Paid
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Blue Cross Blue Shield employees show their support to members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union as they march through the streets of downtown Detroit on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher / AFP / Getty Images)

1. Kansas

There are some weird things going on with the UAW strike.

First: Joe Biden is openly supportive of the unions.

Second: Trump is anti-union. Or at least, he positions himself as being critical of the UAW leadership and its goals—which are centered on getting more money and job security for auto workers.

The Trump position is that the current strike is about electric vehicles and electric vehicles are something-something and very soon all electric vehicles will be “automatically” made in China, costing UAW members their jobs.

His advice to UAW workers hoping to secure a good deal is . . . patronage?

The auto workers are being sold down the river by their leadership, and their leadership should endorse Trump.

Yes. That is Trump’s position.

Third: Trump’s reading of the strike is not—at all—correct. Let me give you the Cliff’s Notes version of this strike:

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