United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain discussed tariffs Thursday during an address to the membership.
While Fain has long criticized President Donald Trump, he does support some of the administration’s tariff actions.
“When we speak out in support of tariffs, we get called right-wingers by the liberals,” Fain said. “People say we’re flip-flopping or we’re doing a 180. The truth is that what we are doing is acting with integrity.”
In his nearly hour-long address on April 10, 2025, Fain repeatedly said free trade is a disaster and that trade policy needs to be reformed.
Fain also said that tariffs in the auto industry can help bring back jobs, and he claimed that the automakers and auto market can afford them.
“Big picture, we support some use of tariffs on auto manufacturing and other similar industries,” Fain said. “We don’t support the use of tariffs for political games about immigration or fentanyl. We do not support reckless, chaotic tariffs on all countries at crazy rates.”
Fain criticized many other actions the Trump administration took, including deportations, detentions, and the cutting of government funding, such as that of the National Institute of Health.
