Trump threatens Harley-Davidson with taxes ‘like never before’ and eventual collapse

Is this legal? Is this constitutional? For a president to make a threat like this to an American business?

President Donald Trump denied Tuesday that his trade policy is to blame for Harley-Davidson’s decision to shift some motorcycle production overseas, saying on Twitter that the company is using “Tariffs/Trade War as an excuse” to hide previously announced plans to move jobs to Asia.

The Milwaukee-based company said Monday it came to its decision because of retaliatory tariffs it faces in an escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and the European Union.

Trump warned Harley-Davidson that any shift in production “will be the beginning of the end.”

www.centralmaine.com...

The tweet:



Maybe this is part of his marvellous economic plan... shame and threaten individual companies that make business decisions as the result of his economic policies? I wonder how this will sit with the Corporate Republicans and Democrats? It's a first I'll give ya that. Of course Trump has no leg to stand on when making that kind of threat, it's all political posturing at the end... without accountability.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

Is this legal? Is this constitutional? For a president to make a threat like this to an American business?

Nah. It's on a par with threatening to take away NBC's broadcasting license.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

Similar to when Obama publicly shamed Staples for trying to balance their ledgers after he foisted Obamacare onto us.

Im still simmering with rage over Obamacare....out of the 8 policies availabe to my wife and I at our collective employers, none will provide the care she needs for a newfound health problem. We were shocked.

Still...Trump isn't threatening them. he's predicting their future.

I agree with him that if we lose these companies we lose.

We need a deescalation strategy.

If some countries are ready to deescalate then we need to start with those countries now instead of choosing to live with the taxes.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: Southern Guardian

Similar to when Obama publicly shamed Staples for trying to balance their ledgers after he foisted Obamacare onto us.

Im still simmering with rage over Obamacare....out of the 8 policies availabe to my wife and I at our collective employers, none will provide the care she needs for a newfound health problem. We were shocked.

Still...Trump isn't threatening them. he's predicting their future.

I wonder who has the power to direct the government to deal with unconstitutional taxes?

a reply to: Southern Guardian

LMGDAO!!! In the wake of Mad Maxine Waters' and her merry band of thugs shaming and threatening those who don't go along with their politics, the audacity to call out an official critical of an American company looking to offshore is certainly worth a horse laugh.

Thank you for that.

Seriously though, his statement... is it a threat or acknowledgement of the reality of the situation? If Harley stops being a Made in the USA bike, he's not wrong... their customer base will go from weak to non existent in this country. They also will run into the adminsitration's newly minted import tariffs, which they can't survive. Congress transfered much of the authority to levy taxes and tariffs on international trade over to the executive branch during the Great Depression, and they never took those powers away from the executive branch, so... yeah, perfectly legal unless and until Congress reclaims them via passage of a law, which would likely be vetoed, so via passage of a super majority, veto proof law.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

he's not wrong... their customer base will go from weak to non existent in this country.

If he's not wrong about Harley's business decision then why does he feel the need to make a threat and whine?

a reply to: Southern Guardian

Is this legal? Is this constitutional? For a president to make a threat like this to an American business?

I hope not. Otherwise this is not the free country that I thought it was.

originally posted by: Southern Guardian
a reply to: burdman30ott6

he's not wrong... their customer base will go from weak to non existent in this country.

If he's not wrong about Harley's business decision then why does he feel the need to make a threat and whine?

That wasn't a threat, nor was it a whine. Try again.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I think you'd really have to squint at his Tweet not to see what he said as a threat.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: Southern Guardian

Similar to when Obama publicly shamed Staples for trying to balance their ledgers after he foisted Obamacare onto us.

Im still simmering with rage over Obamacare....out of the 8 policies availabe to my wife and I at our collective employers, none will provide the care she needs for a newfound health problem. We were shocked.

Still...Trump isn't threatening them. he's predicting their future.

And you accused me of whataboutism!!

Trump can tweet all he want's to; just running his mouth cyber style.

Every tweet he makes sounds like a whine to me....

a reply to: burdman30ott6

That wasn't a threat, nor was it a whine.

No no, I'm pretty sure it was.

Let me ask again. Why did he feel the need to make a threat and whine if Harley is set to lose out badly and publicly from this move as you claim? Doesn't seem logical you'd need to get all uptight does it? Which is exactly what the Don is doing.... as with many of his tweets.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Similar to when Obama publicly shamed Staples for trying to balance their ledgers after he foisted Obamacare onto us.

How did you feel when this happened. Why is this different?

Im still simmering with rage over Obamacare....out of the 8 policies availabe to my wife and I at our collective employers, none will provide the care she needs for a newfound health problem. We were shocked.

Have you tried getting on the aca? If it was my wife I would try everything that I could. The aca is not offered through your job you have to go to the website to apply.

Still...Trump isn't threatening them. he's predicting their future.

Yeah, that's a very misleading article title.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

That wasn't a threat, nor was it a whine.

originally posted by: Gryphon66
a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I think you'd really have to squint at his Tweet not to see what he said as a threat.

People interpret things differently. Some will see it as a threat. Some will see it as a prediction. As Burdman pointed out, if they import to the US from somewhere else, the tariffs will eat them alive. That's just reality. If you look at it from that perspective, it's a prediction.

originally posted by: Gryphon66
a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I think you'd really have to squint at his Tweet not to see what he said as a threat.

Or just be up to speed on the tariffs he has put/plans to put in place.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

Where is the threat?

Why is ok for you guys to slam american businesses or tell them to not serve trumps people .

Tell them to harass supporters and his people in public places.

But this is outrageous?

Hypocrite much?

a reply to: burdman30ott6

nor was it a whine.

Sorry but I am no trump hater. Might even vote for him in 2020.

But this is most defiantly a whinny tweet.

a reply to: scraedtosleep

If they move, watch, it will be the beginning of the end

misleading indeed....

here comes the defense team.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

I think it's a whine but not a threat.

Trump was obviously triggered.