President Trump has made some of a sticky situation by calling for a boycott of Goodyear tires, which is what his White House fleet of limousines uses.
The spat is the result of the revelation that Goodyear employees at their Topeka facility were instructed that Black Lives Matter and LGBT pride messages were acceptable on the job floor, but that showed Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter and wearing MAGA -attire were not allowed. The company has since issued a statement stating that the presentation was not approved in advance by the companies headquarters and that employees can show their support for legislation on clothing.
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The heavily armored cars with Cadillac marks are essentially medium-duty trucks disguised as luxury sedans that ride on a set of Goodyear Regional RHS II truck tires, which Trump said he would consider changing.
But can he?
Technical details of the limousines with operation of secret services have been a closely guarded national secret, but they are often described as special run-flat tires in case of emergency. This may not be very accurate.
Trump’s new limo (Trump) has a different style, but similar layout as the Obama era vehicle (below) replaces it. (Getty Images)
The latest model introduced in 2018 is an evolution of the “Beast” that debuted at the first inauguration of President Obama, several examples of which are still in operation. A 2009 Goodyear press release stated that the 285 / 70R 19.5-size tires presented were standard production tires, and mentioned nothing about them with a custom design.
“As with military combat vehicles, the presidential limousine runs on standard tires, but the rims include a run-flat device (manufactured by Hutchinson Industries) that allows the car to be driven, even with zero air pressure in all four tires,” he said. release.
Hutchinson Industries is a military and safety equipment specialist in New Jersey and its runflat product is essentially a ring made of “ballistic and impact resistant materials” that adheres to the wheel and fits into the inflatable tire.
Hutchinson’s own description says it “converts normal tires and wheels into runflat tires,” but the company declined to comment further on its compatibility with various tire types and brands, such as its involvement with the presidential limo.
Several companies sell tires with similar specifications as the Goodyear Regional RHS II, including Cooper Tires, which is the only other large US-based tire company. Other brands with foreign companies that have a presence in the US, including Bridgestone and Michelin, also offer the required size. The Trump administration is promoting a procurement policy that does not mandate but maximizes the use of U.S.-made goods “to the greatest extent permitted by law.”
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images
However, while Goodyear’s headquarters are in Akron, Ohio, the tires on the Obama-era limo that Trump filled at Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport airport on Thursday are being produced in Luxembourg, and Fox News has learned that the band model has also been produced in at least one other size by her subsidiary in Slovenia, which is the birthplace of Melania Trump.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images
Goodyear’s communications agency had not responded to a request for further information on where the tape was made at the time this story was published.
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