In a little over two months, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.
Detroit News business columnist Daniel Howes is digging into what that could mean for our auto industry.
All through the campaign, Trump railed about Ford and its plans to send all small-car production to Mexico. At the same time, he never acknowledged that Executive Chairman Bill Ford says no jobs will be lost. Ford called Trump’s criticism “infuriating and frustrating.”
According to Howes, those tensions might be in the rearview mirror.
“The two men did meet in New York … and they did have a conversation about this,” Howes said. “Trump has since been public and effusive in his praise of Bill Ford, has acknowledged some of the complaints that Ford Motor Company has … and I think has been sympathetic.”
“I think Donald Trump understands what the auto industry is dealing with,” he said.
He added that Ford is “very much in contact” with the Trump transition team.
Howes told us the United Auto Workers stand to benefit from Trump’s interest in reworking trade agreements such as NAFTA.
“The United Auto Workers I think are ironically finding a potential ally in a Republican administration and Donald Trump.”
“This has potential resonance across the industrial Midwest which really delivered the White House to Donald Trump.”
Listen to our conversation above for more.
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