President Trump said Sunday he spoke with General Motors CEO Mary Barra about the company’s decision to close a GM factory in Lordstown, Ohio.
“Just spoke to Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors about the Lordstown Ohio plant. I am not happy that it is closed when everything else in our Country is BOOMING. I asked her to sell it or do something quickly. She blamed the UAW Union — I don’t care, I just want it open!” Trump tweeted.
Just spoke to Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors about the Lordstown Ohio plant. I am not happy that it is closed when everything else in our Country is BOOMING. I asked her to sell it or do something quickly. She blamed the UAW Union — I don’t care, I just want it open!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2019
Sunday’s tweet wasn’t the president’s first related to the Youngstown manufacturing plant’s closure. Earlier Sunday, Trump fired off a tweet directed at David Green, president of the United Autoworkers Local 1112. Green had appeared on Fox News to discuss the factory’s shuttering.
[Read more: Trump says Ohio auto plant needs to reopen, even if GM has to sell it]
After Green’s appearance on “America’s News HQ,” Trump said Green needed to “get his act together.” The president emphasized the urgency of the situation and that he wanted “action on Lordstown fast.”
Green responded to Trump’s tweet with a statement to Fox 8, a local Cleveland affiliate. “We’re doing everything we can with the Drive It Home Ohio campaign to convince General Motors CEO Mary Barra to reinvest in GM Lordstown. As Mary Barra has said, GM plans to discuss our fate with the UAW in the fall and we are focused on getting a new product in Lordstown. Folks here in the Mahoning Valley are True Blue, hard working, loyal, dedicated and ready to help General Motors and this country build the cars and trucks of the future,” he said.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, also weighed in on Trump’s tweet Sunday, defending Green and the union. “Mr. President, Dave Green and the workers at @UAW Local 1112 have shown grit and determination in the face of adversity, fighting for Lordstown from day one. Instead of attacking workers, it’s past time you stood up to GM and joined the fight,” Brown said.
Mr. President, Dave Green and the workers at @UAW Local 1112 have shown grit and determination in the face of adversity, fighting for Lordstown from day one. Instead of attacking workers, it’s past time you stood up to GM and joined the fight. https://t.co/JuSONVX3Op
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) March 17, 2019
The plant was closed earlier this month after 52 years of business. With the closure came the loss of 1,300 jobs, although 417 of those jobs will transfer to other plants, according to GM. Ohio is a key swing state in 2020 for Trump, who ran on a platform of empowering blue-collar workers and bringing jobs back to the U.S.
