UAW's Fain criticizes Trump on EV stance after Harris endorsement

United Auto Workers (UAW) chief Shawn Fain took aim at Donald Trump’s inconsistent electric vehicle stances Wednesday evening, roughly a week after endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.

Driving the news: Fain voiced support for Harris and criticized Trump during a campaign event on August 7.

• The UAW chief honed in on Trump’s recent endorsement by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, calling him a “sellout.’

• In the past, Trump has heavily criticized electric vehicles and promised to repeal the Biden Administration’s so-called “EV mandate.”

• However, Fain said that the former president “changed his tune” upon receiving support from Musk shortly after an assassination attempt.

Zooming in: Both Musk and Trump have denied there was ever an agreement to donate $45 million to the former president’s campaign.

• However, Trump’s rhetoric against EVs has notably softened since the Tesla exec’s endorsement, something which he himself has acknowledged.

• “I'm for electric cars. I have to be because, you know, Elon endorsed me very strongly," the former president commented during a Saturday rally, adding “I have no choice."

• Trump went on to clarify that he only supports the EV sector as a “small slice” of the car business.

The intrigue: Both Fain’s and Trump’s comments arrive shortly after the UAW endorsed Harris’ candidacy for the White House last week. While it initially withheld its support, the union was much quicker to back the Vice President’s campaign than it was for Biden.

• The organization actually waited months after other labor groups to voice its support for the President’s re-election bid, although its leaders made plain early on that they had no interest in another Trump administration.

• In a statement last week, Fain said the 2024 election is a choice between a billionaire who stands against the union’s beliefs or a candidate “who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us in our war on corporate greed."

Bottom line: It seems the 2024 presidential campaign is back in full swing after the chaos of the attempt on Trump’s life, Biden’s surprise exit and Harris’ sudden nomination. While support has quickly coalesced around the same sides as before, it remains to be seen if the last leg of the election season will play out differently from the rest.

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