DETROIT, MI - Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg criticized President Donald Trump on Wednesday, Jan. 14, during a fireside chat at the Detroit Auto Show.

Buttigieg was responding to a question about a confrontation involving a Ford worker during Trump’s visit to the River Rouge plant in Dearborn.

“What I know is that President Trump did literally what I believe he’s been doing figuratively for some time, which is give auto workers the finger,” Buttigieg said, adding that his sympathies were with the worker, not the president.

Buttigieg went on to warn that shifting government policies and rising global competition could determine whether the United States remains a leader in transportation as electric and automated vehicle technology continues to advance.

“There is no question about whether this technology will be the future of the sector,” Buttigieg said, referring to electric vehicles. “There is a big question about whether America will lead that.”

https://www.mlive.com/news/2026/01/buttigieg-slams-trump-for-giving-auto-workers-the-finger-at-detroit-auto-show.html