LIMA, Ohio – Republican President Donald Trump, during a trip to Ohio Wednesday, again laid the blame for the idling of the General Motors plant in Lordstown on the more than 1,400 now-laid off workers.

Along with the workers, Trump also attacked U.S. Sen. John McCain and went on a tirade about renewable energy during his appearance at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center – the site where the M1 Abrams tank is built.

In his speech to the around 1,000 employees, Trump said the workers at the Lordstown GM factory, which up until its recent shuttering produced the Chevy Cruze, didn’t try to save the facility. GM announced the Lordstown plant’s shutdown in November as part of a plan to lay off more than 14,000 workers in the United States and Canada.

“They could’ve kept that gorgeous plant,” Trump said. “Lower your dues. Lower your dues.”

His statements about union dues are curious. Union dues are paid by employees, not by the company.

Regardless of the accuracy of his statements, Trump’s comments were clearly intended to blame the union workers for the plant’s demise in the latest bit of a feud that has at times approached the bizarre. Presidents rarely tell bargaining units how to operate.

It all started over the weekend when Trump attacked UAW Local 1112 President Dave Green, head of the union that represents Lordstown workers, apparently in a fit of rage over a brief appearance by Green on Fox News.

Trump tweeted that Green needed to “get his act together” and “stop complaining.”

Democrat UAW Local 1112 President David Green ought to get his act together and produce. G.M. let our Country down, but other much better car companies are coming into the U.S. in droves. I want action on Lordstown fast. Stop complaining and get the job done! 3.8% Unemployment! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2019

Ohio Democrats were quick to defend Green and the union. Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke even traveled to Lordstown personally to meet with Green on Monday.

The attack on the UAW workers was part of a larger criticism Trump leveled at union leaders during his Wednesday speech. Mostly, he criticized them for supporting Democrats.

Green did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump may not have taken into account that there were efforts to save the factory.

Bernie Moreno, who owns a string of successful car dealerships in Northeast Ohio, tried negotiating a deal to buy between 150,000 and 180,000 Chevy Cruzes for a ride-hailing business venture, which would have kept the plant open at least temporarily, according to reports.

Earlier in his speech, Trump said GM CEO Mary Barra was moving too slowly in getting the Lordstown plant operational again – either through new production or selling it to another manufacturer.

Republicans sat by Trump’s side at the Lima tank plant while he went after the auto workers. Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman and U.S. Reps. Mike Turner, Warren Davidson and Jim Jordan were all in attendance.

Husted even seemed to make a joke about Trump’s attacks on Green during his opening remarks.

“President Trump keeps us in his thoughts and in his mind and on the minds of others and in his plans – and sometimes even in his tweets,” Husted said.

A spokesman for Husted later clarified that he was talking about Trump’s penchant for tweeting about Ohio, not specifically about Green.

Trump’s rhetoric at the Lima plant was a clear contrast to the situation in Lordstown less than 200 miles away. For most of the speech, he boasted about how well the economy was doing, even bringing along charts and graphs to point to over the course of 40 minutes.

He even delivered some good news to workers at the Lima plant, which faced closure under Democratic President Barack Obama as the need for M1 Abrams tanks has declined.

“I am very proud to report that 400 new jobs are coming in here to Lima,” Trump said. “Compared to just a few years ago we are doubling the size of the workforce.”

The president’s celebration of jobs at the Lima facility and his declaration of his commitment to funding the military left out some crucial details about his proposed border wall – which, in a rare move for Trump, he didn’t bring up. If Trump’s declaration of a national emergency holds up in court, his proposed border wall would siphon off more than $100 million from Ohio, though the Lima plant would be unaffected.

He repeated a similar line to one he delivered in Youngstown in 2017 about manufacturing jobs, saying they were “all coming back.”

At times, though, the president veered off into rants. One particularly noticeable target was McCain, an Arizona Republican, former prisoner of war and foil of Trump’s who died last year and was honored as a hero.

Trump went on a tangent about how he did not like the longtime senator and former Republican presidential candidate, saying McCain did nothing for veterans and calling McCain a hypocrite for his last-minute vote to torpedo the GOP’s effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“I gave him the kind of funeral he wanted, which, as president, I had to approve,” Trump said. “I don’t care about this, but I didn’t get a thank you.”

And he went on a tear against renewable energy as well, claiming that people who live next to wind turbines see their property values decrease significantly.

Wind turbines are not typically found in residential neighborhoods and instead are clustered on farms in the country, including outside Lima.

But Wednesday’s appearance wasn’t supposed to be a political event and it often showed. His attacks were often met with only half-hearted enthusiasm and even outright silence from the audience, a far cry from his campaign rallies where throngs of supporters praise his every word.

Meanwhile, in Canton, Democrats held a counter-rally criticizing Trump for not helping the workers in Lordstown.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Youngstown-area Democrat whose district includes Lordstown, said in a statement it was clear the president cared little about the workers.

“Northeast Ohio is set to lose more than $3 billion in economic activity, and what is the President doing to help? He attacked union leaders like Dave Green, who are fighting hard to save this plant and standing up for its employees,” said Ryan, who is considering a run for president. “His disrespect toward Dave is disgraceful.”

After Trump left Lima, he traveled to North Canton for a high-dollar fundraiser. Tickets started at $2,800 for the reception. A picture with Trump cost $15,000, while dinner cost $50,000 per person.

One Democrat noted that the $50,000 price for dinner is only about $3,000 less than the median household income of Lordstown.

This story has been updated with a clarification from Husted’s office.