JD Vance Slams $500 Million Grant For Michigan Electric Vehicle Plant, Calling It 'Table Scraps'

Republican vice-presidential candidate, Sen. JD Vance, did not mince words when he criticized the Biden administration’s $500 million grant to convert a Michigan auto plant to produce electric vehicles (EVs). Vance labeled the funding as “table scraps” and warned of significant job losses in the auto industry if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected in November.

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Vance told supporters in Detroit, “Neither I nor President Donald Trump have ever said that we want to take any money that's going to Michigan auto workers out of the state of Michigan.” Instead, Vance argued that more significant investments were needed, though he stopped short of specifying what those investments might be. 

“What we've said is that Kamala Harris is offering table scraps. Five hundred million dollars when you have an EV mandate that will cost 117,000 autoworker jobs," Vance continued, highlighting his belief that Michigan auto workers deserve better.

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The grant is part of President Joe Biden's broader $1.7 billion initiative to retool auto factories across the U.S. for EV production. The largest chunk, $500 million, is allocated to General Motors (GM) to convert its Lansing, Michigan plant from producing internal combustion vehicles to EVs. GM expects this conversion to retain 650 jobs and create 50 new ones. However, Vance remains skeptical about the Biden administration's approach, hinting that his and Trump's administration would pursue alternative strategies.

Vance's comments follow growing tensions between Republicans and Democrats over the future of the U.S. auto industry. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly opposed the EV push, painting it as a threat to traditional auto jobs. Trump referred to the possibility of a "bloodbath" in the auto sector if he isn't reelected.

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The Democratic response was swift. Harris, at a rally in Flint, Michigan, defended the grant and its importance in saving Michigan auto jobs. “The Republican nominee, JD Vance, suggested that if Trump wins, he might let the Grand River Assembly in Lansing close down – the same plant that our administration helped save earlier this year, along with 650 union jobs,” Harris said.

Vance's campaign spokesperson, William Martin, echoed the senator’s stance, arguing that the current administration's EV investments are insufficient. “Vance believes the current administration's investments in clean energy and electric vehicles are leaving Michigan auto workers with table scraps,” Martin said.

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On the flip side, Harris campaign spokesperson Joseph Costello defended the investment, calling it a "lifeline" for American manufacturing. “Major investments in Michigan auto jobs made possible by Vice President Harris aren't ‘table scraps,' they're a lifeline that is building the future of American manufacturing."

Meanwhile, auto workers remain divided. The United Auto Workers (UAW), which endorsed Harris, slammed Trump and Vance's comments, arguing that their policies would hurt the working class. "The bottom line is that Donald Trump and JD Vance are a menace to the working class," the UAW said in a statement.

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However, Brian Pannebecker, founder of autoworkers for Trump, echoed Vance's concerns. He called the grant "stupid," citing fears of job losses from the EV transition. "This is exactly what we've been warning about," Pannebecker said, underscoring the ongoing tug-of-war over the future of the U.S. auto industry.

As the debate rages on, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also weighed in, reminding voters of the manufacturing job losses under Trump's administration. "With Vice President Harris's help, we're building back," Whitmer posted on X, formerly Twitter.

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