The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, on Thursday, called Ford and its workers a “national treasure” for its effort to manufacture 50,000 ventilators by early July in response to the coronavirus crisis and recent efforts to reopen its assembly plants.
Donald Trump, choosing not to wear a mask in front of cameras, toured the Rawsonville, Michigan, plant where Ford assembles its Model A-E ventilator. He was joined by Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, CEO Jim Hackett and Jim Baumbick, vice president of the company’s enterprise product line management.
Speaking to a crowd of workers, Trump congratulated the automaker for its role in providing medical equipment and thanked automakers for efforts to restart vehicle production earlier this week.
“I want to commend Ford, along with General Motors, General Electric, Fiat Chrysler and so many other companies, a lot of them in this area, for blazing a trail to safely restart America’s economic engines,” he said. “I want to thank you all for leading America back to work.”
Trump mentioned the upcoming Ford Bronco SUV, calling it a “big winner,” and saying Ford projected to hire 2,000 workers to build it at the nearby Michigan Assembly Plant. The vehicle is expected to go on sale early next year.
Trump also referenced company founder Henry Ford having “good bloodlines.”
Bill Ford, the great-grandson of Henry Ford, praised Trump for his efforts to “move the economy forward,” including negotiating an update to the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“We’ve spoken many times over the years, and while we don’t always agree on every issue, he has always considered our opinion,” Ford said.
Ford was among the automakers the Justice Department probed over a fuel economy pact with California. Trump, who has softened federal rules and sought to revoke that state’s authority to set its own standards, called executives who oppose his efforts “foolish.” The Justice Department closed its investigation.
