Trump Issues a Threat to GM

President Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday to express his displeasure with GM's planned 14,000 layoffs and five plant shutterings; National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow did the same thing from the White House. In afternoon tweets, Trump issued a sort of threat, writing, "Very disappointed with General Motors and their CEO, Mary Barra, for closing plants in Ohio, Michigan and Maryland. Nothing being closed in Mexico & China. The US 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!"

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports those tweets came "moments" after Kudlow departed the White House Briefing Room, where he had said much the same thing: "We're going to be looking at certain subsidies regarding electric cars and others." GM Kudlow characterized the administration's reaction as "a tremendous amount of disappointment maybe even spilling over into anger," reports the AP. Kudlow met with Barra Monday, and on Tuesday told reporters, "The president is very cross with her and of course I transmitted that." He added the sense was that GM "kind of turned" its back on the president in making its move. (There's a surprise among GM's six discontinued cars.)