Former U.S. President Donald Trump skipped his party's internal candidate debate and instead appeared in Michigan to address striking factory workers.
While current President Joe Biden has been marching alongside the workers and supports their demand for a 40% wage increase, Trump had a more pessimistic message for them.
Trump told the workers that no matter what they negotiate, they would all be jobless in two years. This grim prediction comes as the U.S. government, led by Biden, has committed to phasing out the purchase of gasoline and diesel cars by 2035.
Biden's campaign staff argues that Trump's statements are an attempt to distract from his own poor performance for factory workers during his tenure.
They accuse him of favoring the wealthy with "trickle-down" tax cuts and outsourcing jobs to China.
The absence of Trump at the debate, which took place at the Ronald Reagan Library in Los Angeles, was noted by other Republican presidential candidates.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is challenging Trump for the Republican nomination, criticized him for being "missing in action."
