Sean Payne of the United Auto Workers (UAW) on Friday slammed former President Trump, saying he owes billionaires money and “has never stood up for the working class.”
In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Payne highlighted the union’s decision to support Harris and the UAW’s important role in last year’s presidential campaign.
“Trump has never supported working people. He has never supported unions,” Payne said. “But he’s trying to get our votes.”
Payne endorsed Biden last year after he joined UAW workers on strike.
After Biden suspended his campaign, the UAW decided to endorse Harris. Fain said at the rally that if elected, Harris would continue to work for working-class Americans, while Trump would work for billionaires.
The UAW president has drawn Trump’s ire. In a speech at the Republican National Convention last month, Trump denounced Fain and called for her to be fired. The former president said the UAW should be “ashamed” of allowing Fain to support the Democrats.
In a post online, the union said they were not on Trump’s side, calling him a “destroyer and a billionaire.”
According to the AP, Payne dismissed Trump’s insults as typical behavior from a former president.
“All that guy does is call people names, label them. He never finds a solution,” Fain said. “That’s the problem with leadership. You have to find a solution.”
Fain told the news site he was confident Harris would be an advocate for workers. She walked the picket line with striking General Motors workers in 2019 and was there with Biden “despite all that we’ve been through,” he said.
“She was there for the delivery,” he said, adding later, “I think she’s a wonderful woman. A very strong person.”
Harris understands the problem, Payne argued.
“I think Trump is all talk. That’s all he’s ever done. He’s a showman,” he said.
Hill reached out to Trump’s campaign, but in a statement to the AP, the campaign said Fain was a “Democratic puppet.”
“Sean Payne’s empty words won’t matter. President Trump will take action to fight for American workers,” the statement said.
The Associated Press contributed.
