Trump: Harley-Davidson will take ‘big hit’

President Donald Trump on Sunday warned motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson that he knows its customers and that they will not look kindly on an American company moving some production overseas.

“Everybody who ever bought a Harley-Davidson voted for Trump … and they are very unhappy about it,” the president told Fox Business and Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo in an interview that aired on “Sunday Morning Futures.“ “I feel that maybe Harley, I think they are going to take a big hit.”

The Wisconsin-based Harley-Davidson said this past week that it was moving some of its production overseas to avoid tariffs on bikes sold in the European Union. Trump’s decision to levy tariffs on steel and aluminum from the European Union and other countries triggered the move.

“The tremendous cost increase, if passed onto its dealers and retail customers, would have an immediate and lasting detrimental impact to its business in the region,” the company said. Motorcycles to be sold in the United States will continue to be made in America.

Regardless, Trump said the company shouldn’t shift any of its production.”I think that Harley is an American bike, it’s an American motorcycle and they shouldn’t play cute,” he added.

As he reminded Bartiromo, Trump hosted some of the company’s top officials at the White House in February 2017, when he said the company was a “true American icon.”

Trump’s remarks Sunday echoed his comments on Twitter during the week. He tweeted Tuesday: “If they move, watch, it will be the beginning of the end — they surrendered, they quit! The Aura will be gone and they will be taxed like never before!”

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