Authored by Mark Glennon via Wirepoints.org,
Illinois had some rare, good news yesterday.
Stellantis, the Big 3 auto maker, announced it will be investing $1.2 billion in its Belvidere assembly plant and bringing back about 1,500 jobs there.
You’ll never know who really got it done if you listen to Illinois’ leadership.
It was a  “dramatic turnabout,” as the Detroit Free Press put it.
As you may remember, Gov. JB Pritzker announced to much fanfare in October 2023 that the Stellantis facility in Belvidere, idled with layoffs just before the previous Christmas, would be reopened. But no deal was ever signed and, last year, Stellantis indefinitely postponed any Belividere expansion, blaming “market conditions.”
But that was before Trump, his tariff threats and four days of meetings last week between Stellantis, Trump and his team.
Here is a headline on one of many stories linking yesterday’s good news about more jobs in Illinois to Trump’s pressure on Stellantis:
“Stellantis responds to Trump’s tariff threat, will restart Illinois plant and build new Durango in Detroit.”
And from the Wall Street Journal:
John Elkann, chairman of Jeep-maker Stellantis, wasted no time reassuring President Trump of the global automaker’s commitment to U.S. manufacturing. The scion of Italy’s famous Agnelli family met with Trump last week to emphasize the company’s support for American workers.
On Wednesday, following the meeting, Stellantis reaffirmed plans to reopen a now-idled factory in Illinois to make a new midsize truck, according to an internal memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Pritzker, however, claims full credit for himself and his friends.
Not a word even acknowledging Trump’s role.
From Pritzker’s statement yesterday about Stellantis’ new announcement:
This would not be possible without proactive collaboration and coordination between the State of Illinois, Stellantis, UAW, the Biden-Harris Administration, and our champions in Congress, including Senator Durbin, Senator Duckworth, Representative Bill Foster, and Representative Eric Sorensen,” said Governor JB Pritzker.
“My administration has worked tirelessly with our partners to secure this investment and we are excited to see it come to fruition.
Illinois Senator’s Duckworth and Durbin were no better.
Their joint statement likewise doesn’t mention Trump.
One big loose end is that we still don’t know how much state money Illinois initially offered Stellantis as part of the initial deal that fell apart. Pritzker and the state never said and nobody in the media ever pressed him for an answer. Some or all of that money is presumably still on the table. In any event, that does not mean Trump’s role wasn’t essential to Stellantis’ new committment.
Why does Pritzker figure he can get away with deceit and ingratitude so extreme?
Because the Illinois press never calls him out on such things.
He knows they won’t lay a hand on him.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 01/23/2025 – 20:05
