Laid-Off Battery Plant Workers Pin Blame on Ford, not Trump, for Lost Jobs

The electric vehicle battery factory that Ford and a South Korean company opened on 1,500 acres of Kentucky farmland last year was the biggest economic development Hardin County had seen. In December, four months after the first batteries rolled off the line, Ford shut down production and laid off all 1,600 workers, leaving people here stunned and angry.

Many residents blame Ford more than President Trump or Republican moves that cut subsidies and tax credits. Workers said the company raised hopes and then dashed them, misread the market or relied too heavily on government support that proved fleeting.

United States, Hardin County, Kentucky

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