'Joe the Plumber' on Union Members' Split with Leadership in the Voting Booth

Joe Wurzelbacher, who gained national attention during the 2008 presidential race as ‘Joe the Plumber’ for a discussion he had with then Senator Barack Obama during a campaign stop, weighed in on the 2016 presidential race and how blue-collar union workers will impact the election.

When asked how many private sector union members he felt would come out in support of Donald Trump on election day, Wurzelbacher replied, “I’d say at least 70% and the reason why, now I worked for Chrysler (NYSE:FCAU) a couple years ago cause I wanted to understand really the union and the union process and what’s going on.  I hate when people talk about things they know nothing about.  And I met a lot of great Americans at the union, a lot of hard workers, but I also met a lot of lazy guys who use the system to get what they want.”

Wurzelbacher then pointed out the difference between union leadership and the union members.

“Union leadership’s been bought for a long time and I think we all know that here in this station.  But union membership, they understand what happens with the trade agreements and what Trump wants to do as far as renegotiating them and making them better for the American worker and you’re talking about the blue-collar union worker,” Wurzelbacher told the FOX Business Network’s Stuart Varney.

Wurzelbacher explained that even though union workers understand the impact of the trade agreements, issues such as education and jobs are the main focus for households across America.

“No, what they zero in on is making sure their kids got a good school system, making sure they can put food on the table and actually put a little bit of money in the bank as opposed to what’s been happening for the last eight years.  You know, everyone’s been struggling, you have to work two or three times harder to make what you did eight years ago as today.”

When Varney asked if America can get back the kind of manufacturing base it once had 30 years ago, Wurzelbacher responded, “We have to, it’s not about ‘can we,’ we have to.  For America to be great again, to move forward in this world, this world economy, we have to become a powerhouse again and Donald Trump’s the only one that’s going to make that happen.”

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According to Wurzelbacher a potential Hillary Clinton presidency would be a continuation of the policies that have hurt U.S. manufacturing for decades.

“Hillary Clinton keeps on beating the same drum that’s been essentially sinking America for the last 30 years.  So if we don’t become a manufacturer powerhouse again, you know, America is gonna go the sideways of Rome.”