Biden: Trump's 'chaotic trade threats, erratic tweets, and bluster' have hurt U.S. workers


Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was in Ohio on Monday, where he told autoworkers in Toledo that President Trump's "chaotic trade threats, erratic tweets, and bluster" have "stiffed American workers and customers. He's let you down."
During this drive-in campaign rally, Biden said if elected, he will enact a "trade strategy" that "gets results," and will "stand up to China's trade abuses. I will invest in you." He discussed what it was like when, as vice president, he worked with former President Barack Obama to rescue the auto industry in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. "Barack and I bet on you," Biden said, "and it paid off."
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, northeastern Ohio's unemployment rate was higher than the national rate, due to the loss of manufacturing jobs, NBC News reports. Biden's "Build Back Better" plan calls for working with allies to "modernize international trade rules" and investing billions in U.S. manufacturing – Biden said he wants to make a $400 billion procurement investment in American products, a $300 billion investment in research and development and breakthrough technologies, and bring back critical supply chains to the United States.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The polls show a tight race in Ohio, a state Trump won by eight points in 2016. The latest Great Lake Poll conducted by Baldwin Wallace University shows Trump leading Biden 47 to 45.4 percent, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. "What this tells me is that Ohio is a competitive state, but it's a much longer climb for Biden to win when Trump won the state by eight points four years ago," Tom Sutton, political science chair at Baldwin Wallace University, told Cleveland.com.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The countries around the world without jury trials
The Explainer Legal systems in much of continental Europe and Asia do not rely on randomly selected members of the public
-
How did the Wagner Group recruit young British men for arson attack?
Today's Big Question Russian operatives have been using encrypted messaging apps to groom saboteurs across Europe
-
The best graphic novels
The Week Recommends These inventive illustrated books will transport you to another world
-
Trump U-turns on weapons to Ukraine
Speed Read Unhappy with Putin, Trump decides the US will go back to arming Ukraine against Russia's attacks
-
Ukraine scrambles as Trump cuts weapons deliveries
Speed Read The halting of weapons shipments was driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a Ukraine funding skeptic
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
Israel strikes Iran, killing military and nuclear chiefs
Speed Read Israeli officials said the attack was a 'preemptive' strike on Iran's nuclear program
-
Israel deports Thunberg after seizing Gaza aid boat
speed read The Swedish activist was delivering food and medical aid to Palestine, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis there