"'These companies do not want to get into a public dispute with the president,' Levy said. They 'presume that this is probably a short-lived thing on the president's part which, for the most part, has proven to be right.'"
Trump's decision to tax our European allies not only was bad for the sale of Harley-Davidson's sales of motorcycles domestically and overseas, it will also, most likely, be a bad thing for those who need parts for their bikes. One of the main reasons this brand of bikes became so popular is because Harley-Davidson motorcycles are rather easy to work on -- and in the case of their older bikes, this is very true. I once worked with a city reporter who, during times when he was bored, would tear down one of his Harley-Davidson bikes, then meticulously clean, repair, and replace its parts, and then, he would put his bike back together again. I also have a friend who recently bought an old Harley-Davidson bike that was placed in an old, dusty, greasy box, and he replaced some parts, fitted the box-full of parts into a two-wheeled motor vehicle, and today is riding around on a spiffy, almost-like-new, classy classic.
That old sales credo that Harley-Davidson once used, "Don't just get there -- arrive," is particularly evident with this biker. When he gets somewhere, he certainly arrives, like rolling thunder!
The economy does not like tariffs. Combined with the predicted exponential rise of the national debt in direct correlation with Trump's tax cuts, a recession has been prognosticated by some economists. Harley-Davidson seems to enjoy an inelastic demand. Many who own a Harley-Davidson buy other bikes, and they're usually other Harley Davidsons. An extremely popular brand among white, blue-collar workers, with many loving that winged symbol surrounding the brand's corporate name, there is only one rite-of-passage to wearing this garb: To actually own and ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. All Trump's maligning of this company will undoubtedly pass over, with much of his banter probably causing angst and discord among this sector of the populace, who seem to be a forgiving but not a forgetting lot. Over the long term, bikers who have a bit of independent spirit in them will probably be swayed to vote for a Trump opponent, even if they had some fervor during Trump's campaign and over the first few years of his presidency. Yes, this is how devoted Harley-Davidson bikers are to their favorite corporation. In a nutshell, nothing is going to penetrate the devotion and loyalty Harley-Davidson lovers and bikers have to their brand. Many look upon this company as if it was their own, and the tirades and diatribes of a political leader who acts irrationally and is caustic and sarcastic will not dampen their amorous feelings toward this great company.
Harley Davidson just made a business decision to save itself. As selfish and self-serving as Trump has always been, all patriotism would surely go out with the baby and the bathwater if he could save money by transplanting one of his companies overseas, if money could be saved. He has no right to criticize this long-established, great American company, a concern that has remained loyal to this land, its workers, and its customers. For seeming eons now, Harley-Davidson has kept all its operations on American soil. Unfortunately, the global market dictated an ominous alternative and option that Harley-Davidson obviously accepted reluctantly. And that option was to have some of its assembly and operational plants transferred to other countries.
In an opinion headlined June 27 on The Smirking Chimp, writer P.M. Carpenter opines, "To sell motorcycles in Europe, what choice did Harley have? It was facing a 31 percent tariff -- up from 6 percent; a retaliatory increase by the E.U. Trump's response was that he '"fought hard for them,' but they 'wave[d] the White Flag' --'they quit!' So the scapegoat, in this case, is the victim, which is usually the case. And of that, we'll see more. "
Trump's decision to put a litany of tariffs on innumerable countries has been met with a lot of opposition - even aggravation - on Capital Hill and even in the Republican Party. As Alan Rappeport and Stacy M. Brown write in The New York Times, "The president's public attack on Harley is likely to further frustrate Republicans, who have been increasingly worried about the fallout from his trade war."
"Speaker Paul D. Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, said Tuesday that the company's move was a sign that unilateral tariffs did not work. 'I don't think tariffs are the right way to go,' Mr. Ryan said. 'I think tariffs are basically taxes, and what ends up happening is you get escalating tariffs, or escalating taxes,'" The New York Times article says.
"Representative Jim Sensenbrenn, another Wisconsin Republican, urged Mr. Trump to take a more targeted approach in his trade negotiations that would protect American workers and businesses. 'It's unfortunate that such a strong Wisconsin company like Harley-Davidson should have to bear the brunt of this trade dispute,' he said," according to this article.
"And Senator Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican who is a frequent critic of Mr. Trump, defended Harley's patriotism and condemned Mr. Trump's trade policies as bad economics. 'This will go over like a Vespa at Sturgis,' Mr. Sasse said, invoking the scooter brand and the South Dakota site of a large annual motorcycle rally. 'The problem isn't that Harley is unpatriotic -- it's that tariffs are stupid.'" Alan Rappeport and Stacy M. Brown write.
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