The UAW accuses Trump and Musk of intimidating workers through labor laws

The United Auto Workers (UAW) announced on Tuesday that it has filed federal labor charges, accusing former President Trump and Elon Musk of trying to "intimidate and threaten" workers during their Monday night discussion on the social platform X.

During the interview, Trump remarked to Musk, "I mean, I see what you do. You walk in and say, ‘You want to quit?’ They strike—I won’t name the company—but they strike, and you say, ‘That’s fine, you’re all gone. Every one of you is gone.’”

According to the UAW, federal law protects workers from being fired for striking, and it is illegal to threaten such action.

“When we say Donald Trump is a scab, this is exactly what we mean. When we say Trump opposes everything our union stands for, this is exactly what we mean,” UAW President Shawn Fain stated.

Trump has had public disagreements with Fain and the UAW, which recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the upcoming presidential election.

Musk’s SpaceX, facing allegations of unfair labor practices, has challenged the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board, a move that experts warn could weaken the agency responsible for investigating labor disputes.

“Donald Trump will always oppose workers defending their rights, and he will always side with billionaires like Elon Musk, who is pouring $45 million a month into a Super PAC to get him elected,” Fain said.

“Trump and Musk both want working-class people to stay silent, and they openly joke about it. It’s appalling, illegal, and completely expected from these two,” Fain added.

The AFL-CIO, a coalition of 60 national and international labor unions, also criticized the conversation on X, stating, “Scab recognize scab.”

Neither the Trump campaign nor a spokesperson for X, owned by Musk, immediately responded to requests for comment.

The UAW has been vocal in its criticism of Trump and has tried to highlight the differences between the former president and Harris, arguing that the vice president would provide better outcomes for unions than Trump.

“The record is clear. Donald Trump is all talk, but Kamala Harris has delivered for autoworkers,” Fain said in a video posted by the UAW on Monday.

After the video’s release, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt described Fain as “a puppet for the Democratic Party who is unfortunately not serving the millions of hardworking union laborers across the country who are supporting President Trump because they know he will protect their jobs and prioritize them.”

The Trump campaign has been working to win over labor unions ahead of the November election, recently inviting Teamsters President Sean O’Brien to speak at the Republican National Convention. The Teamsters have yet to endorse a presidential candidate.