Trump to skip next Republican debate, give speech to auto workers
By David Shepardson and Tim Reid
(Reuters) -Former U.S. President Donald Trump plans to give a speech in Detroit on Sept. 27 to a crowd of union workers, skipping the second Republican presidential debate, an aide said on Monday, and instead inserting himself into a dispute between striking workers and America's leading automakers.
The prime time speech is expected to be delivered to auto workers and other blue collar union members, the aide added. The speech comes as Trump has been harshly critical of President Joe Biden's electric vehicle policies and urged autoworkers to back his candidacy.
The event will mark the second time Trump has skipped a Republican primary presidential debate, in a race where despite his myriad legal problems, Trump leads his nearest rival by nearly 50 percentage points, according to the most recent opinion polls.
Trump's speech signals an effort by his team to look beyond his party's White House nominating contest and onto a likely general election re-match with Biden next November.
The speech to union members will be part of an intense campaign by Trump to win back some of the working class voters who defected to Biden in his 2020 victory against Trump.
The United Auto Workers union began a strike last week against the three biggest U.S. auto manufacturers over pay and other benefits, a labor dispute that could pose significant political danger for Biden.
While Biden has touted his support of unions for decades, there is anger among some rank-and-file auto workers that he has not done enough to stand up to the manufacturers and their executives amid huge industry profits.
Trump is seeking to exploit the dispute, and will try to persuade auto workers and other union members that he will be on
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