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Trump blasts Carrier at Westfield rally, but workers union doesn't return the love

Posted at 12:48 AM, Jul 13, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-13 01:12:44-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- Donald Trump again linked his campaign to the plight of Carrier's workers at a rally in Westfield on Tuesday – but it's not clear those same workers share the sentiment.

Addressing a packed crowd at Grand Park in Westfield, Trump said Carrier "viciously" decided to move 1,400 manufacturing jobs from Indianapolis to Mexico.

Trump, who has called for a 35 percent tax on Carrier products if the company goes through with the move, said Carrier workers have "followed us around" during his campaign.

"We felt so badly for them," Trump said.

On repeated occasions, Trump has said that if he was president Carrier would not move jobs out of Indiana. It was a claim he repeated Tuesday night.

"We're going to bring out manufacturing back," Trump said. "We're not going to let Carrier come in, make air conditioners in Mexico and sell them to us across a very strong border, now. We're going to tell them, if you want to sell your air conditioners, you're going to pay a 35 percent tax. And you know what's going to happen? They're not going to move."

TRUMP ON CARRIER | Fact-checking Donald Trump's Carrier claims | Trump: If I'm president, Carrier won't, move to Mexico | Trump made money off of Carrier in 2015 | Trump on Carrier: You're gonna pay a damn tax

Carrier's Indianapolis plant doesn't make air conditioners – it makes furnaces – though the company does manufacture air conditioning units elsewhere.

Despite Trump's apparent enthusiasm for its cause, United Steelworkers Union Local 1999 hasn't backed him, at least not publicly. The union endorsed Democrat Bernie Sanders during the primaries, and is backing Democrat John Gregg in Indiana's gubernatorial race. And United Steelworkers President Chuck Jones expressed little excitement about a Trump-Pence ticket.

"[Pence] and Trump would be a hell of a team," Jones said. "All we need is a circus tent up – a couple of elephants – hell of a circus going on."

MORE | Carrier workers union takes aim at Pence, Trump

Pence's campaign says the governor made sure Carrier's parent company refunded more than $1 million in tax credits and grants to the state, and secured the future of 400 research and development jobs in Indiana. It's not clear if the 400 jobs Carrier will keep in Indiana were ever marked to be moved to Monterrey, Mexico.

FULL COVERAGE: TIMELINE: Carrier to ship 1,400 jobs from Indiana to Mexico |  Hogsett calls on Carrier to return $1.2M within 30 days Coats, Donnelly have 'disappointing' meeting with Carrier execs | IEDC responds to Sen. Donnelly's comments on Carrier |  Sen. Donnelly: Carrier never cited federal regulations as reason for move | Union president: 'We're not going away quietly' | Carrier employees protest move at statehouse| Pence on Carrier meeting: 'I don't want to create any false hope for people' Moving to Mexico: What you need to know about Monterrey, Mexico  | Moving to Mexico: On the ground in Monterrey, Mexico, where Carrier is moving  Trump weights in on Carrier relocation to Mexico  | Carrier: Company did not receive $5M in federal stimulus funds  | President of United Steelworkers Union: No hope of saving 1,400 jobs  | Carrier employees, local businesses reel after announcement of move to Mexico  | WATCH: Employees react to news that Carrier is moving from Indy to Mexico  | Pence to review Carrier's plans to move to Mexico  | TRUMP: Carrier should be taxed for their goods after move to Mexico  | Hogsett, Donnelly meet with Carrier workers  | City, state stepping in to help Carrier employees | Indiana leaders ask Carrier for a meeting to try to keep the plant, jobs in the state