Donald Trump is desperate to appear presidential as he campaigns to become President once again. The Washington Post reported yesterday that one step in that effort was to plan a rally in Michigan with striking UAW auto workers.

But Trump’s planned rally comes in spite of the union warning him to stay away. Trump is baffled when it comes to how things work and uses nothing but angry rhetoric to rile up crowds. That is presumably his plan for the Michigan rally.

When we say that he doesn’t know how things work, we mean, for example, that he told Kristen Welker in his Meet the Press interview, “The auto workers will not have any jobs, Kristen, because all of these cars are going to be made in China. The electric cars, automatically, are going to be made in China.”

That’s hilariously wrong. Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act has a provision that states, “for the $7,500 tax credit to be applicable the cars must meet requirements for U.S. assembly and materials.” There will be plenty of jobs.

President Biden, however, is also planning a rally with the striking auto workers, and he comes at the invitation of the union.

As to what the two candidates’ approaches will be to the situation, Kate Bronfenbrenner, the director of labor research at Cornell University, says this:

“Biden is taking this very unusual position for a president in saying the company has made enough profits and can afford to give the workers more, whereas Trump is attacking the unions and trying to create a specter of fear about the green transition.”

The Post report characterized the situation:

“Biden comes at the invitation of union leaders. Trump came despite their warnings to keep his distance. Biden has touted a record as a ‘pro union’ president while at times struggling to maintain the support of rank-and-file members. Trump calls himself ‘pro worker’ while at times clashing with union leadership and implementing policies as president that worked against their interests. And while Biden is joining a picket line of union members, Trump’s remarks will be given at a non-union shop.”

That sounds about like the difference between these two. Joe has worked plenty of picket lines — Trump has never held a job where you could go on strike.

Striking UAW auto workers warned Trump to stay away from picket lines — he's going anyway AND holding a rally! pic.twitter.com/Py6BrwMB9l

— Nicole Hickman James (@nicolejames) September 27, 2023