Trump ‘very disappointed’ with GM

President threatens to cut automaker’s subsidies

WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was “very disappointed” that General Motors was closing plants in the United States and warned that the White House was “now looking at cutting all GM subsidies,” including for its electric cars program.

Trump unleashed on Twitter a day after GM announced it would shutter five plants and slash 14,000 jobs in North America, with many of the job cuts coming from the Midwest, where the president has promised a manufacturing rebirth.

Trump wrote that he was “Very disappointed with General Motors and their CEO, Mary Barra, for closing plants in Ohio, Michigan and Maryland. Nothing being closed in Mexico & China.”

And, referring to the 2008 federal bailout of the auto industry, Trump angrily continued that “the U.S. saved General Motors, and this is the THANKS we get! We are now looking at cutting all @GM subsidies, including for electric cars. General Motors made a big China bet years ago when they built plants there (and in Mexico) — don’t think that bet is going to pay off. I am here to protect America’s Workers!”

Trump’s incendiary tweet came a short time after National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow said the White House’s reaction was “a tremendous amount of disappointment maybe even spilling over into anger.” Kudlow, who met with Barra on Monday, said that Trump felt betrayed by GM, which the government had been