Trump Lordstown Comment Draws Rebukes from Ryan, Brown

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and the chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party rebuked president Donald Trump yesterday following comments on Fox News Channel that appeared to dismiss concerns of workers at General Motors Lordstown plant.

Trump, during an interview said, it “doesn’t really matter” whether GM moves forward with closing the Lordstown plant, where the Chevrolet Cruze is manufactured, idling some 1,600 hourly and salaried workers. 

“It doesn’t really matter because Ohio is under my leadership from a national standpoint. Ohio’s going to replace those jobs in like two minutes,” he continued.

Ryan, D-13 Ohio, and Brown, D-Ohio, shot back at Trump on Twitter.

“Shame on you, Mr. President. Come to Lordstown and say to these workers’ faces that their jobs don’t matter,” Ryan tweeted.

“It may not seem like a big deal to someone about to spend 16 days at Mar-a-Lago, but it really matters to families whose holidays have been ruined by layoffs,” Brown retorted. “GM announced this a lot longer than ‘like 2 mins’ ago – these workers are still waiting for action.”

David Pepper, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, characterized Trump’s “dismissal of the devastating impact” closing the Lordstown plant would have on thousands of Ohioans, their families and their communities as “heartless and disturbing.”

He continued, “The hard-working people of Lordstown and the Mahoning Valley deserve leaders who will fight for them at their time of need, not minimize their hardships. Beyond the Valley itself, the closing of GM Lordstown would be a disaster for all of northeast Ohio, with ripple effects on many other businesses, communities and families.”