Union Boss Shawn Fain Backs Trump's Tariffs: His Perspective
Transformed Article:
Updated on March 10, 2025: Clarified the spelling of UAW President Shawn Fain's name.
On "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," UAW President Shawn Fain surprisingly backed President Donald Trump's tariffs. Unusual, considering UAW is typically a union leaning towards Democratic candidates. So, why the unexpected support? Let's dive in.
Fain's Take on Trump's Tariffs and Trade
George asked Fain about his stance on Trump's tariffs, and Fain responded, "We're in a critical state in this nation. There's no single topic impacting our economy and working class folks more than NAFTA, the USMCA, and our trade policies...." He further added, "We're in a critical condition. Tariffs are an attempt to halt the bleeding of jobs in America for the past 33 years."
It's surprising to find a union president stepping off the Democratic bandwagon to support a Republican's policy. Fain's reasoning was sound, and his comments were clear - the U.S. needs to address the unfair agreements in trade with our trading partners.
In 1993 on "Larry King Live," Al Gore and Ross Perot had a debate over the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. Perot's famous statement about a "giant sucking sound" referring to the moving of American jobs overseas became a slogan among free-trade supporters. When asked about that debate in 1993, Fain said, "Gore talked about four living presidents, Nobel Prize-winning economists, and everyone claimed this would create 400,000 jobs in the first year of NAFTA's launch, but what happened? We've lost millions of jobs since then. We've lost 90,000 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. since NAFTA's inception. That's 1,800 manufacturing plants, per state."
Fain wasn't beating around the bush. He was clear and decisive in supporting Trump's tariffs. Let's explore why he favors this part of the president's agenda.
How Trump's Tariffs Will Boost U.S. Jobs
Consider a hypothetical scenario. Suppose Country A (a foreign trading partner of the U.S.) imposes a 20% tariff on U.S. auto imports. Meanwhile, the U.S. imposes a 5% tariff on auto imports from Country A. Due to the disproportionately higher tariff imposed by Country A, U.S. automakers will sell less in that market. If the tariff rates were equal, both countries would be on an even playing field, and the market would decide which country's autos sold the most. In short, the U.S. has many trading partners that impose a higher tariff on U.S. exports than the U.S. charges on imports from those countries. Fain also challenged the host to name a president in the past 25 years who addressed the trading disparity.
U.S. companies selling more to our trading partners leads to additional jobs for Americans. It also puts upward pressure on wages, leading to more jobs and better wages – something everyone can agree on.
The president's tariff strategy also encourages companies to move manufacturing back to the U.S. to avoid tariffs. Companies like Taiwan Semiconductor, Eli Lilly, and Apple are already planning substantial investments in the U.S., and more are likely to follow. As these companies relocate production facilities to the U.S., they will create more high-paying jobs for Americans.
The Potential Downside of Trump's Tariffs
There is a temporary drawback to the president's tariff approach, as suggested by Democrats. Democrats, when asked about Trump's tariffs, point to the confusion and uncertainty caused by the president's inconsistent tariff policy. This is true. Such uncertainty can lead corporations to postpone hiring and expansion plans. If this uncertainty persists, companies may feel compelled to cut costs, with labor costs being a major expense for many companies.
In the short term, Trump's tariffs may cause some discomfort. In the intermediate and long term, however, they should make America financially stronger, increase job availability, and improve wages for American workers. If you find yourself unemployed due to federal job cuts, you might not be thrilled with the current situation. I understand that, and yes, the process could be improved. However, if things progress as expected, many displaced workers may find new opportunities in the jobs emerging from this situation – even though those opportunities might take time to materialize.
Will Fain's comments strike a chord with the UAW membership? The union has many Democratic members, but if Trump's tariffs help American auto workers, it could be the catalyst that changes the UAW's political alignment. Could the UAW become aligned with the Republican party? That might be a stretch, but it's an intriguing thought. Fain, in one of his closing remarks, said, "....NAFTA is terrible..." – a sentiment shared by those versed in trade policy.
- UAW President Shawn Fain, who surprised many by backing President Donald Trump's tariffs, stated on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" that "Tariffs are an attempt to halt the bleeding of jobs in America for the past 33 years."
- In response to George Stephanopoulos' question about why Fain agreed with Trump's tariffs, Fain pointed out, "We're in a critical condition. Tariffs are an attempt to address the unfair agreements in trade with our trading partners."
- During a 1993 debate on "Larry King Live" about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Fain agreed with Ross Perot and questioned the job losses that have occurred since NAFTA's inception, stating, "We've lost 90,000 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. since NAFTA's inception."
