Trump Is ‘Very Cross’ With GM’s Barra Over Layoffs, Kudlow Says

(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump’s top economic adviser said he had conveyed to General Motors Co. Chief Executive Mary Barra the president’s anger over her plans to close U.S. factories and lay off thousands of workers.

“The president is very cross with her and of course I transmitted that,” National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow told reporters on Tuesday. “Tragically, they are going to lay off a whole bunch of workers.”

The GM chief executive met with Kudlow at the White House on Monday shortly after announcing plans to shutter five factories in the U.S. and Canada and lay off about 14,000 employees. The meeting had been scheduled in advance, the White House said. Investors cheered the news, sending GM shares higher, but in Washington there was bipartisan anger that the company is trimming its workforce in the midst of an economic expansion.

Trump said Monday that he had spoken to Barra personally and told her to replace production at a politically sensitive Ohio factory instead of closing the facility.

To contact the reporter on this story: Saleha Mohsin in Washington at smohsin2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Mike Dorning

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