The United Auto Workers filed federal labor charges against former President Donald Trump and billionaire X, Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk on Tuesday. The union alleges the two attempted to intimidate and threaten its members.

What You Need To Know

  • The United Auto Workers filed federal labor charges against former President Donald Trump and Tesla owner Elon Musk

  • The union alleges the two attempted to intimidate and threaten its members, referencing comments that Trump made to Musk during a livestreamed interview on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday

  • The UAW endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president July 31, saying her candidacy builds on the Biden-Harris administration’s proven track record of standing with the UAW and delivering major gains for the working class

“You walk in, you say, ‘You want to quit?’ They go on strike,” Trump told Musk during a livestreamed interview on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. “I won’t mention the name of the company, but they go on strike and you say, ‘That’s ok. You’re all gone. You’re all gone. So every one of you is gone.’”

Workers who go on strike are protected under the National Labor Relations Act. It is illegal for companies to threaten striking workers.

“When we say Donald Trump is a scab, this is what we mean,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement. “When we say Trump stands against everything our union stands for, this is what we mean. Donald Trump will always side against workers standing up for themselves, and he will always side with billionaires like Elon Musk, who is contributing $45 million a month to a Super PAC to get him elected. Both Trump and Musk want working class people to sit down and shut up, and they laugh about it openly. It’s disgusting, illegal, and totally predictable from these two clowns."

(Musk has denied a report from the Wall Street Journal claiming that he planned to contribute about $45 million a month to a political action committee supporting Trump, calling it a "fiction" by the outlet.)

The UAW endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president July 31, saying her candidacy builds on the Biden-Harris administration’s proven track record of standing with the UAW and delivering major gains for the working class.