Vice presidential candidate JD Vance defended Donald Trump’s comments about firing striking workers during a rally in Michigan, saying Wednesday that Trump wasn’t talking about terminating autoworkers in the state but instead “firing the employees of Twitter.”
“He was talking about firing the employees of Twitter who use their power to censor American citizens,” Vance told the crowd in in rural Kent County. “Those people ought to be fired. If you censor Americans from exercising their First Amendment rights, you absolutely should be fired. Donald Trump is exactly right.”
The Trump-Vance campaign did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on whether Vance was referring to X employees who have gone on strike or not.
It is illegal to fire striking workers or those who threaten to strike because it is a violation of the National Labor Relations Act.
Vance’s explanation of Trump’s comments comes after the former president told Musk in an X interview Monday that he “won’t mention the name of the company, but they go on strike and you say, ‘That’s OK, you’re all gone.’”
“You walk in, you say, ‘You want to quit?’ They go on strike,” Trump said of Musk.
Trump’s comments on striking workers drew backlash from United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, who called Trump a “scab” in a statement attacking him for siding with Musk. The UAW also filed an unfair labor practice charge against Trump and Musk on Tuesday because of their comments on firing striking workers.
Trump’s comments came as the former president is trying to make inroads with rank-and-file union members after most unions endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
The comments also drew ire from Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who told POLITICO that “Firing workers for organizing, striking, and exercising their rights as Americans is economic terrorism.”
Vance on Wednesday was careful to note that he liked O’Brien but he was wrong on his interpretation of Trump’s comments. Teamsters has not made an endorsement in the 2024 presidential race.
“I like the Teamsters President,” Vance said. “I think he’s a good guy, but he’s wrong because Donald Trump was not talking about firing Michigan autoworkers.”
