Ohio Truck Plant Layoffs Hit Workers Days Before Trump Rally

Nearly 1,400 workers were laid off at the former Navistar truck plant in Springfield, Ohio, on Sept. 30, 2026, erasing about a year of job growth in the greater Dayton area three days before a scheduled Trump rally at a nearby high school. At a Springfield restaurant, UAW Local 402 member Kyle Bos, 30, and coworkers drank tea from beer mugs while discussing the cuts. Bos, who has two daughters and a third due in January, held up three tattooed fingers when asked how many times he had voted for Trump. Trump said Thursday at a Texas truck plant that all over the country they are building factories and plants and manufacturing is coming back, and that the only thing being done badly is public relations. The White House has touted an $850 million Electra investment along with Honda and Stellantis announcements. Only 17% of Americans approve of his handling of inflation and cost of living. Forklift driver Marianne Donnelly said workers were not getting a lot of overtime because of the economy. Bos said a White House idea of $5,000 checks if Republicans win the House and Senate feels like a bribe, a slap in the face, and like that workers are all ignorant, and said something has to change politically as it kept getting worse and worse and worse. Roshel is purchasing the plant and expects to rehire workers in six to 12 months and eventually double the workforce.