Thousands of auto workers are prepared to leave the Democrats and support Trump over green policies and job-destroying regulations, according to the leader of the Auto Workers for Trump.

A retired autoworker who spent 36 years working for Ford and Chrysler, now Stellantis, founded a pro-Trump group of colleagues and retirees in 2017 that has grown to thousands of members in recent times.

In an interview with Planet Chronicle Digital, UAW founder Brian Pannebecker revealed that his organization began with 30 active members who backed former President Trump in the 2016 election.

"My plant's popularity quickly spread, tripling in size. Other auto plants' workers saw it on social media and requested to join. Suddenly, I had hundreds of members," Pannebecker stated.

He claims that his group has extended its activities beyond the internet to regular visits to auto plants in Michigan, where he and his Trump-supporting union members are interacting with others and gaining support in a traditionally Democrat-leaning sector.

According to Pannebecker, the UAW is a crucial organization for middle-class workers, and he and his members advocate for collective bargaining and the belief that unions played a significant role in shaping America's working class. Ford, too, should be recognized for his contributions, including establishing the five-day workweek and raising his employees' wages to $5 per day, despite his personal interests.

While Pannebecker stated that he and his group do not oppose the UAW, they hold a different political stance than its leaders, including President Shawn Fain, who is a critic of Trump.

The "Green New Scam" is a major issue that unites his growing group of supporters for Trump and other Republicans.

According to Pannebecker, the American consumer does not want to be forced to buy electric vehicles, and the government's insistence on supporting EVs over internal-combustion vehicles has resulted in lines of workers being cut and numerous EV vehicles sitting idle on lots in Detroit and dealerships across the country.

Trump's replacement of NAFTA with the USMCA gave the automotive industry a new boost by discouraging offshoring of union work.

"After President Clinton signed it, the auto companies, who are in business to make money and profits for shareholders, started closing plants in the United States and moving them to just south of the border, maybe 10 miles into Mexico."

"Never before had the Democrats or previous Republican administrations tackled the issue. During his campaign, Donald Trump promised to abolish NAFTA and negotiate a new trade agreement that would benefit American workers."

"And guess what? He kept his campaign promise."

Auto Workers For Trump is united in support of the federal push toward EVs and green regulations, including mileage standards and offshoring that has taken place in recent years, as stated by Pannebecker.

Kamala Harris has stated that she wants all vehicles built in the United States to be zero-emissions by 2035. She supported legislation aimed at achieving this goal while serving as a U.S. senator. It is claimed that she was the most liberal U.S. senator.

""She's more liberal than Bernie Sanders, which makes her dangerous," he said. "She lacks knowledge about manufacturing and the economy. She's a San Francisco district attorney who later became California's attorney general. We all know what happened in California - they ruined the state," he added."

"In this election for autoworkers, the clear choice is Donald Trump. He has a solid record to back up his claims, while Kamala Harris is simply a liberal lawyer from California with no real experience in the industry."

Harris and other Democrats backed Congressional legislation that threatened to "destroy" the auto industry and its jobs in the US, according to Pannebecker.

"Our task is to inform, educate, and motivate auto workers about the issues, and then encourage other workers who are already aware of them to vote. We cannot remain inactive during this election."

Rep. John James, R-Mich., whose family business is in the automotive supply sector and who represents many of the workers in Pannebecker's group, stated in a separate interview with Planet Chronicle Digital that liberal politicians "do not understand" the requirements of workers.

He stated that they fail to comprehend that our livelihoods do not align with the agendas they devise in their coastal retreats.

He stated that the automotive industry in Michigan accounts for 50% of the economic impact when these comply-or-die mandates are put on industry.

Harris, as a senator, advocated for a Zero-Emission Vehicles Act that aimed to eliminate other vehicles by 2040. However, her campaign sent a "fact-check email" obtained by Axios, which stated that her stance on electric vehicle mandates had changed, and she no longer supported them.

Federal policy has repercussions on workers, supply chains, and management that align with the government most of the time, as stated by James.

He commended Pannebecker's work while stating that hundreds of autoworkers will eventually be laid off due to green regulatory measures and left-wing anti-worker policies.

James criticized his own Democrat challenger, Judge Carl Marlinga, for comments he made in a 2022 Detroit News interview where he criticized James for wanting to "hold tight and try to stick with a dying industry as long as we can."

"Alternatively, we can adopt my approach, which involves embracing the innovative products of the future green-industrial revolution."

Fosnacht, the campaign manager for Marlinga, stated that unlike John James, who is content to let China take over the automobile industry jobs of the future, Carl's comments emphasized the need for policies that would make Michigan the manufacturing hub of the world in the 21st century.

James argued that the green movement supported is not grounded in reality.

James stated that technology is not yet advanced enough to produce products that people do not desire. He added that autoworkers, like Pannebecker, comprehend this and are expressing their opinions during the current election season.

During the 2024 cycle, members of Pannebecker's growing autoworker group made stops at massive parking lots outside plants in the Detroit area.

Before and after shift-change, Pannebecker and other members would set up outside the Ford axle plant lots to greet and engage with the workers.

Auto Workers For Trump has been successful in engaging with hundreds of workers while waiting in line to enter or exit the plants. Sometimes, the workers even become volunteers, expanding the group's numbers.

Frequently, workers pose the question of why they should back the Republican candidate, according to him.

"We received some of the men from the plant who were protesting and rallying, and they left their shifts to join us and hold up signs."

"The UAW bosses have lost their ability to intimidate workers with repercussions because it is now commonplace for men in the plants to support Donald Trump and demand union leadership to align with their views."

Since Trump's election, the Republican Party has been gaining support among union workers, who were previously considered a key voting bloc for Democrats.

The swing districts in Michigan, traditionally held by Democrats, are becoming more prevalent, as is the case in regions where union labor is prominent, according to him.

In Pennsylvania's Anthracite Coal Region, counties such as Schuylkill, Carbon, and Northumberland, which were previously friendly to Democrats, now display an abundance of Trump signs and tend to vote for Republicans in elections to Harrisburg and Washington, D.C.

President Biden, who identifies as the "most pro-union president," has attempted to diminish this perception by visiting significant locations, similar to those Pannebecker's group does.

In 2021, Biden visited Mack Trucks' headquarters in Macungie, Pennsylvania, and in 2022, he toured Volvo's factory in Washington County, Maryland, to enhance his image and interact with employees.

Biden frequently recounts tales of his childhood in industrial Scranton, Pennsylvania, and his time in Claymont, Delaware, near the large oil refineries in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania.

In the trucking industry, there is a growing pro-Trump sentiment due to issues such as the economy, job outsourcing, and green policy, as suggested by Pannebecker.

O'Brien was snubbed by the DNC but spoke at the Republican National Convention, earning praise for having an open mind from Teamsters President Sean O'Brien.

Nearly 90 to 95% of the trucks passing by, regardless of what they're transporting, are honking their horns, giving a thumbs-up, and pumping their fists in a visible gesture, according to the speaker, who pointed out that these truckers are often members of the Teamsters union.

Pannebecker stated that many UAW members do not comprehend how Fain was elected as their union leader.

"Although he successfully negotiated a favorable contract for them and ensured they received all the give-backs during the previous two or three contract cycles, they no longer approve of his political views. They believe he has become arrogant and overconfident, and they strongly oppose his endorsement of Kamala Harris."

Pannebecker stated that Auto Workers are planning to focus on some of the largest plants in Michigan to spread their message.

As voting commences in Michigan, the UAW membership will likely remember the recent events and vote for Donald Trump, according to Pannebecker's statement.

The Harris campaign and UAW did not respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment by press time.

Planet Chronicle Digital’s Matteo Cina contributed to this report.