On Saturday, Former President Donald Trump delivered a stark warning, suggesting that a loss in the 2024 election could have detrimental consequences for both the US auto industry and the nation as a whole. Speaking at a rally in Vandalia, Ohio, Trump pledged to impose a “100% tariff” on cars produced outside the US, emphasizing that the protection of domestic auto manufacturing would solely be assured if he were to secure re-election.
“We’re going to enforce a 100% tariff on every car crossing the border, making it impossible for them to be sold if I am re-elected,” Trump proclaimed. “However, if I fail to secure re-election, it could lead to disastrous consequences for the entire nation – and that would be just the beginning. It would be a catastrophe for the country, and that would be just the beginning.”
During an extensive discussion on the auto industry, unions, the shift towards electric vehicles, and auto plants in Mexico, Trump’s remark emerged. Trump has aimed to attract autoworkers and appeal to voters in Rust Belt states by emphasizing trade, tariffs, and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. Earlier this month, Trump informed news channels of his intention to impose a 50% tariff on cars manufactured in Chinese plants in Mexico.
The former president emphasized the importance of the November election to the crowd, stating, “If this election isn’t won, I’m not sure that you’ll ever have another election in this country.”
Saturday’s rally, organized in support of businessman Bernie Moreno, Trump’s favored candidate in the state’s Republican Senate primary on Tuesday, featured a wide-ranging speech. Trump attributed the unstructured nature of his speech to the strong winds preventing him from using the teleprompter.
“I can’t read this damn teleprompter,” Trump exclaimed. “This sucker is moving. Like reading a moving flag at a 35-mph wind.”
President Joe Biden’s campaign seized upon Trump’s use of the term “bloodbath,” suggesting that the former president “wants another January 6.”
“This is who Donald Trump is: a loser who gets beat by over 7 million votes and then instead of appealing to a wider mainstream audience doubles down on his threats of political violence,” Biden campaign spokesperson James Singer stated in a Saturday evening release.
In response, the Trump campaign fired back on Saturday night, asserting that the former president was referring to autoworkers.
“Biden’s policies will create an economic bloodbath for the auto industry and autoworkers,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt countered.