You agree to organize a large meeting and identify a range of groups to invite, including the mutual aid movement and organized veteran families.
A few days before the meeting, an urgent text from a friend interrupts your day, “Did you see? Trump’s announced he’s ordering electric vehicle plants to shut down?!” You click the link to see what she’s talking about and scan the article quickly. You vaguely remember that when talking about electric vehicles (EVs), Trump promised a “bloodbath” if Biden was re-elected (and assumedly that extended to Harris). Trump’s base has soured on EVs, seeing them as part of the “woke agenda.” Trump has now invoked the Defense Production Act to repurpose EV plants to produce gasoline-engine vehicles.
The article cites unnamed sources inside the White House. An unnamed economic advisor calls the move “backward,” noting that over 100,000 jobs in the EV sector would be threatened by Trump’s new policy, which attempts to undo plans that auto producers have already put in motion. Another source calls it “just a stunt,” explaining that “you can’t repurpose an EV plant by an order.” Autoworkers are furious.
This news makes you excited about your upcoming meeting. This attack on EVs might be just the opportunity you need to adjust tactically. You know some people in the autoworkers union. And the Tax Resistance Movement could go “all in” on this issue, making it the major focus of the movement. Other voices within your group say this is unwise — instead, the movement needs to keep building for the next tax season.