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WASHINGTON (AP) — The war of words is escalating between Donald Trump and a union official who suggested that Trump wasn't being truthful about the number of jobs being saved at an Indiana factory.
When Trump visited Carrier's factory last week, he suggested that more than 1,100 jobs could be saved in a deal to discourage the company from closing the factory.
A local steelworkers union president, Chuck Jones, then said "we could use a little more honesty" about whether more jobs would be lost.
Trump yesterday tweeted that Jones had "done a terrible job representing workers."
And now, Jones is challenging Trump to back up his claims about the number of jobs that will be saved. He told CNN today that Trump had "overreacted" -- and that he "should have come out and tried to justify his numbers."
Jones had said following Trump's announcement last week that the number of jobs saved is closer to 800. But he suggested that Trump wasn't being honest in saying that no more jobs would be leaving.
In his tweets responding to Jones last night, Trump said the union official should "spend more time working" and "less time talking" -- and that the union should "reduce dues."
About 30 minutes later, Jones tells MSNBC, he started getting harassing phone calls, including one that said, "We're coming for you."
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025-v-36-(Sandy Kozel, AP correspondent)--President-elect Donald Trump takes to Twitter to criticize a union leader in Indiana. AP correspondent Sandy Kozel reports. (8 Dec 2016)
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APPHOTO ININS201: In this Nov. 30, 2016 photo, President, United Steelworkers Local 1999, Chuck Jones speaks with members of the media about the latest Carrier Corp. announcement from a parking lot near the Carrier plant in Indianapolis. The union president slammed by Donald Trump on Twitter challenged the president-elect Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, to back up his claim that a deal to discourage Carrier Corp. from closing an Indiana factory would save 1,100 American jobs. (Michelle Pemberton/The Indianapolis Star via AP) (30 Nov 2016)
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