“Billionaire Sleazeball”: Worker Group Slams Trump Over Dump Truck Stunt!

A labor organization in North Carolina lambasted former U.S. President Donald Trump and a Republican ally for their use of dump trucks as campaign props.

Having trouble with the truck door—which sparked a widely shared video raising questions about Trump’s fitness—the former president eventually hopped into the passenger side of a white truck festooned with American flags and a sign proclaiming, “Trump, Make America Great Again! 2024.”

Dressed in a bright orange safety vest, which he also wore at a subsequent rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Trump pointedly asked journalists: “How do you like my garbage truck? This truck is dedicated to Kamala and Joe Biden.”

In two social media updates, the Durham Workers Assembly pointed out that the dump truck stunt came shortly after Trump, at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, another key battleground state, operated a fryer and avoided questions about increasing the minimum wage.

“First flipping burgers, now this!” exclaimed the Durham, North Carolina branch of the Southern Workers Assembly, an organization committed to unifying the unorganized labor force across the southern U.S. and coordinating regional actions.

“A billionaire sleazeball pretending to be a regular worker is utterly appalling, a slap in the face to all working-class people,” the group stated online. “Workers must unite and rise up to crush MAGA fascism!”

The Durham Workers Assembly also mentioned that “pro-Trump multimillionaire” Vivek Ramaswamy partook in a similar act, showing up at a Charlotte, North Carolina campaign event atop a garbage truck.

As Politico reported, these events responded to comments made by Biden who, replying to a racist joke at a Trump rally, seemed to label Trump’s followers “garbage,” a comment the Republicans pounced on even as the White House clarified he was criticizing the demonization of Latinos by Trump’s supporters.

Both campaigns have emphasized the importance of winning over working-class votes. While many national unions support Harris, notably, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has refrained from endorsing any presidential candidate this year, a decision that has drawn criticism.

The United Auto Workers, which has endorsed Harris, heard from its president Shawn Fain on Tuesday. Fain called for workers to unite against Trump, who he labeled a “scab,” stressing that “our involvement in politics is fundamental to our fight for economic and social justice.”

The choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as Harris’ vice presidential running mate has been well-received by unions and labor advocates. A former teacher, Walz has criticized Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), for exploiting working-class individuals, stating, “the only thing these two know about working folks is how to take advantage of them.”

Vance, a former venture capitalist and author of Hillbilly Elegy, now made into a film, is criticized for his portrayal of the poor in his book as manipulators of the system, per Rolling Stone‘s Tim Dickinson. As he campaigns, Vance uses his upbringing to deflect criticism while attacking the ‘elite’ for their disdain towards his background.

At a Thursday campaign event, Walz critiqued the garbage truck stunt while slamming Trump’s trade policies.

“This guy’s nearly 80 years old, almost hurt himself climbing into a garbage truck. You’d think he’d understand tariffs by now,” Walz commented. “Smarter individuals than Donald Trump—which includes many—like CEOs from Black & Decker, AutoZone, and Columbia, have stated that Trump’s tariff plans would force them to hike prices, inevitably burdening consumers.”