On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Harris-Walz Surrogate Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) argued that there will be fewer strikes if 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris is elected and that the head of the dockworkers union is “a Trump guy” who might want to cripple the economy for political purposes.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) stated that the strike is “going to drive inflation. It’s going to drive costs, there’s no question, if this goes on. The Democrats are in a bit of a pickle because they’re so pro-union, we’re going to be pro-union, it’s kind of thinking very old school in that mindset. The union just rejected a 50% pay raise. I don’t know any American that would reject a 50% pay raise. But they have.”
Co-host Andrew Ross Sorkin cut in to respond, “There’s an argument being made that these workers are run by a union that’s actually trying to get former President Trump elected.”
Later, Polis said, “Well, once again, I think this shows the importance of trade, which Donald Trump would cripple with his 20% tariffs. I think Democrats have the moral standing with both sides, business and labor, to be able to get them in a room to hash out a deal. I think we’ll have [fewer] strikes and less turmoil on the labor relations front with Kamala Harris.”
Sorkin then cut in to say, “Did you see what the head of the union said? He basically wants to cripple this whole country.”
Polis responded, “Well, he’s a Trump guy. … It’s like Donald Trump wants to cripple border security, too, by not giving us the resources we need, the Border Patrol agents to keep it. There’s this theme among some in the Republican Party where they want to keep these issues festering and problems, rather than solve them. So, yes, for political reasons, that may be very well what he wants to do. And, again, there [are] many issues that Donald Trump doesn’t want to solve, but wants to keep out there, like a porous border, that he can complain about.”
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