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Bernie Sanders spoke to a crowd of United Auto Workers (UAW) in Warren, Michigan, the first of four stops he is making on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris. In his remarks, Sanders focused on his usual themes of “corporate greed” and the growing wealth gap but also directed his comments toward labor workers uncertain about supporting Harris in the upcoming election.
“It’s no secret, there are union members — I don’t know why, I don’t know how — but there are union members around this country who are thinking about voting for Donald Trump,” Sanders said.
He reminded the workers that Harris stood with the UAW on the picket line in 2019 as a senator, contrasting her stance with Trump’s track record of protecting corporate interests at the expense of workers. “You had a president of the United States, his name — Donald Trump — did nothing for you,” Sanders said.
The UAW membership is deeply divided in this election, with concerns over the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) fueling doubts about whether Harris can secure Michigan, a key state in the auto industry. Trump has made opposition to the Biden administration’s EV policies central to his campaign, labeling them as harmful to jobs and vowing to restore Michigan’s auto sector.
The event, attended by UAW president Shawn Fain, aimed to push back on Trump’s attacks. Fain criticized Trump’s record, citing a trade agreement he negotiated as similar to NAFTA, and accused Trump of appointing officials and judges hostile to labor.
“You know, we’ve seen this body of work before. We’ve seen what he did when he was president,” Fain said, introducing Sanders to the stage. “He didn’t bring s*** back.”
Despite the show of support, some union members remain skeptical about the leadership’s ability to protect jobs as the industry moves away from gas-powered cars. While the Biden administration has not mandated EVs, its policies have accelerated the transition, citing competition with China.
Ahead of the event, Trump’s campaign criticized Sanders, calling his appearance a “death wish for Michigan’s auto industry.” Trump spokeswoman Victoria LaCivita also labeled Fain a “political puppet,” claiming he doesn’t represent the average UAW worker. “Can you name a more unrelatable trio to Michiganders than Bernie Sanders, Shawn Fain, and Kamala Harris?” she said.
Sanders’ tour through Michigan continues with stops in Saginaw, Grand Rapids, and East Lansing.
