WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said the administration would help the U.S. auto industry manage the impact of the coronavirus amid concerns about the health of auto-parts manufacturers.
“We’re watching the auto industry very much,” Trump said Thursday on a call with state governors. “We’re going to be helping them out at least a little bit and they’ve sort of requested some help, and it wasn’t their fault what happened. So we’ll be taking care of the auto industry.”
His comment was prompted by Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who said she had concerns about the finances of some auto parts suppliers.
Earlier Thursday, the Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association asked congressional leaders to create a “Manufacturing Emergency Assistance” grant program “to keep the doors open, preserve jobs, and prevent bankruptcies in the vital manufacturing sector.”
