FORT DODGE, Iowa — Sen. Tim Scott mentioned throughout a Monday marketing campaign occasion, when requested concerning the United Auto Staff strike, that former President Ronald Reagan “gave us an incredible instance” when he fired placing federal staff within the Nineteen Eighties.
It’s the most recent of a number of crucial feedback Scott has made concerning the auto staff, whilst different GOP presidential candidates avoid criticizing them amid a strike at three vegetation to date.
Scott’s comment got here in response to a query at a meet and greet in Fort Dodge: “Would you as president … insert your self within the labor talks?” an Iowa voter requested.
Scott then repeated the query again to the viewers: “Would I as president of america insert myself into this labor dispute?”
“Let me reply the primary query,” Scott mentioned. “I believe Ronald Reagan gave us an incredible instance when federal staff determined they had been going to strike. He mentioned, you strike, you’re fired. Easy idea to me. To the extent that we are able to use that when once more, completely.”
Scott’s marketing campaign declined to touch upon why he referenced firing federal staff when requested how he would deal with the present strike by the autoworkers.
As an alternative, marketing campaign spokesperson Matt Gorman mentioned in an announcement that Scott “has repeatedly made clear, each at that occasion and others, that taxpayers shouldn’t subsidize any cope with the UAW and auto firms.”
Scott’s criticisms on Monday prolonged to President Joe Biden, who has defended placing auto staff and repeatedly characterised himself as “essentially the most “pro-union president in American historical past.”
“A part of the problem that now we have as we speak with President Biden is — and I don’t imply this to be disingenuous, I imply this to be honest — I’m unsure if the phrases are purchased and paid for, however actually he has been leased by the unions,” Scott mentioned.
Scott has made his criticisms of unions a focus of his marketing campaign, usually slamming lecturers unions — however recently widening his scope to incorporate the United Auto Staff.
Whereas introducing his financial plan throughout a coverage roundtable occasion in Duncan, South Carolina, final week, Scott criticized the union’s calls for as they reached the top of their contract with the massive automakers.
“We’re seeing the UAW combat for extra advantages and fewer hours working,” Scott mentioned on the occasion. “Extra pay and fewer days on the job. It’s a disconnect from work, and now we have to discover a technique to encourage and encourage folks to return to work.”
Altogether, the feedback mark among the strongest criticism of the auto staff amongst Republican presidential candidates, because the celebration has shifted to incorporate extra blue-collar staff lately.
Former President Donald Trump has criticized UAW president Shawn Fain, who has himself been crucial of Trump. However he has taken a extra sympathetic tone with the auto staff broadly, and he’s planning to talk to placing staff in Detroit the day of the following Republican main debate, which Trump is skipping. The New York Instances was first to report Trump’s deliberate go to.
“The auto staff usually are not going to have any jobs once you come proper all the way down to it, as a result of if you happen to check out what they’re doing with electrical automobiles, electrical automobiles are going to be made in China,” Trump mentioned on the latest episode of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” including: “The auto staff are being bought down the river by their management.”
Throughout a marketing campaign occasion in Iowa over the weekend, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took a query on the UAW strike — however he opted in opposition to immediately criticizing the union staff, as a substitute saying he didn’t have sufficient info earlier than turning his reply to Biden’s “push for electrical automobiles,” which he mentioned was “damaging of the auto business as a complete.”
“Ford staff are going to be higher off if folks should buy a gas-powered Ford F-150,” DeSantis mentioned.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, in the meantime, known as the UAW strike “a battle of the way forward for American transportation” however didn’t criticize the union staff.
“The union staff are going, wow, we’re gonna change to all EVs, we’re going to have much less jobs, we’re gonna change to all EVs, you understand, we’re transport our future and you’ll be depending on China for our transportation wants,” Burgum mentioned at a marketing campaign occasion in Laconia, New Hampshire, on Monday.
