Some attendees at Donald Trump’s speech about the autoworkers’ strike Wednesday apparently were shills carrying signs falsely identifying them as union members, the Detroit News reported.
One person held a sign that said “union members for Trump,” but admitted to the newspaper she was not a union member. Another carried a placard with the words “auto workers for Trump” and confessed he was not an auto worker when the outlet requested an interview. Neither identified themselves.
Trump visited Michigan to show solidarity with striking United Auto Workers members, but instead stoked fear about electric cars to the crowd at a nonunion auto parts supplier. He warned workers that they would be out of a job in a few years, even if they secured sought-after salary increases.
“Your current negotiations don’t mean as much as you think,” he said.
Donald Trump was in Michigan to court blue-collar workers but there were questions about the rally attendees. MATTHEW HATCHER via Getty Images
The affiliations of the guests receiving his message came into question. The business, Drake Enterprises in suburban Detroit, employs about 150 people who are not represented by the UAW, the newspaper noted. And there were an estimated 400 to 500 in attendance.
Former President Donald Trump spoke about the autoworkers' strike in Clinton Township, Michigan, but who was he speaking to? via Associated Press
The Guardian cast doubt on the composition of the crowd, writing “Trump’s pitch for autoworker votes in car heartland is short on autoworkers” in its headline.
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain called Trump’s rally at a nonunion shop a “pathetic irony,” The Daily Beast reported.
Trump has faced crowd-related controversy before. His inflated boasts about attendance at his 2017 inauguration got his presidency off to a falsehood-marred start.
legendary_millbilly on September 28th, 2023 at 12:50 UTC »
Nothing is ever as it seems with trump.
He lies and deceives at each and every subject. The guy is just not capable of the truth. Fake story's, fake people, fake accomplishments, fake billionaire businessman and fake assed human.
He is a lying liar that can't stop himself from lying about anything.
Crowd sizes and weather maps and covid tests, everything.
GrouchoManSavage on September 28th, 2023 at 11:48 UTC »
This isn't even a Trump thing - Dubya Bush did similar photo-ops with fake "workers", plants who were specifically told to bring helmets and wear Carhart coveralls to look more authentic. It made the news cycle for about 30 seconds before they moved on to whether John Kerry had botox.
theClumsy1 on September 28th, 2023 at 11:41 UTC »
That's all that needs to be said.
He's there to garner UAW support..by being at a non-union facility.