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Harley-Davidson workers back Trump despite jobs shift

“He wouldn’t do it unless it needed to be done, he’s a very smart businessman,” said one Harley employee whose name is embroidered on his work shirt — though he asks not to be quoted by name.

“I think he’s playing poker: I’ll hit you with this, you’ll hit us with that, I think this will bring them to the table — unless he’s completely crazy,” chimed in another, who also declined to be quoted on the grounds that he could get into trouble with the company for speaking out.

 

Asked whether they blame the president or the EU for causing Harley’s offshoring decision, most say emphatically that they blame only the Europeans. “The president was just trying to save the US aluminium and steel industry,” said one approvingly.

Harley-Davidson said on Monday that it maintained a “strong commitment to US-based manufacturing”, but that its facilities in India, Brazil and Thailand would increase production to avoid paying the EU tariffs that would have cost it as much as $100m.

When asked whether the latest news could make him vote against Mr Trump if he runs for a second term in 2020, one worker, who gave his name only as Tod, replied: “No, I don’t think so. It’s going to take a little bit more than that. He’s doing good things. We’ll just have to see who runs on the other side, that might change my vote.”

Mark, another Harley worker sitting astride his motorbike during the afternoon shift change at this plant that employs about 1,000 workers, said: “I think Harley is just using it as an excuse” to move more production overseas, after a recent decision to close the company’s Kansas City plant. “They will just blame it on Trump.”

 

It's incomprehensible to me. 1) Calling Trump a con artist is an insult to artful grifters who actually trick people. He's a bullshit artist, and he is so transparently ridiculous with his BS, it boggles me. It boggled me in 1988, except then it seemed everyone knew he was a bullshit artist. It boggled me in 2016, particularly to the extent there were people who seemed to be taking him seriously. At this point, it makes my head want to explode. 2) There is some human psychology thing going on here that I am incapable of understanding. Forget not being able to recognize the most ridiculous bullshit artist of all time. Those Harley workers? To me, it's like jumping in front of a bus and then blaming the bus.