Musk eyes old GM plants; Trump invited to visit

YOUNGSTOWN — U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland, and four other elected officials from Ohio and Michigan formally invited President Donald Trump to visit communities impacted by the idling of General Motors North American plants, including the Lordstown Assembly complex.

The letter was also signed by Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo; Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus; Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich.; and Rep.elect Andy Levin, D-Mich.

Meanwhile, in a preview of an interview to be aired on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he might be interested in taking over the five factories General Motors plans to close next year, including the plant in Lordstown.

“It’s possible that we would be interested, if they were going to sell a plant or not use it, that we would take it over,” Musk told CBS’s Lesley Stahl.

GM plans to idle plants in Ohio, Michigan and Maryland in March. The Lordstown plant makes the Chevrolet Cruze. GM plans to discontinue the Cruze, Chevrolet Volt and Chevrolet Impala.

The politicians asked the president to meet some of the 14,000 workers who will lose their jobs as a result of the GM decision.

“Respectfully, we invite you to join us to visit the Lordstown Assembly, Warren Transmission, Browns-town Battery, Baltimore Operations and Detroit-Hamtramck plants, to meet the workers who will soon receive pink slips,” the representatives wrote.

The letter calls on the president to use any methods to address the closings.

“We urge your administration’s intervention in every manner possible to seek both short- and long-term remedies for these workers, the autopart supplies that will also be impacted, and the communities sure to be severely impacted by these job losses,” the representatives wrote.

The representatives also called on Trump to fulfill promises he made during his campaign and subsequent rallies.