For someone who complains a lot about “fake news”, it certainly seems as if President Donald Trump is more concerned about his image than his actual governing. This became overwhelmingly apparent after his recent attempts to tweak the public’s perception went viral. Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time that Trump has gilded the lily when it comes to the way that he is viewed as a public figure. The former reality star always knew how to capitalize upon press and then twist it to his advantage.
This latest stunt occurred in Michigan—at a speech in which Trump was announcing plans to revoke some of the strides that President Barack Obama made with fuel efficiency regulations. Many autoworkers showed up for the speech, but it was the manner in which they materialized that has raised eyebrows.
According to a local radio station, many of the workers told the media that they had been given time off—with pay—to attend this Trump speech. They were also given free transportation to the event, with buses picking them up.
Unfortunately, experts do not necessarily believe that the policy rollbacks will benefit those same autoworkers that attended the event. In fact, many believe that it would be a boon to everyone in the auto industry if fuel-efficient vehicles were made a priority. With so much on the line, it seems as though applause should have been an afterthought—or not even an issue at all. Also, disrupting factors such as self-driving vehicles may have the capability to upend any new legislation.