Compelling stories have a protagonist and an antagonist, of course, but also a cohort of archetypal characters that envelop the narrative and give it consistency. And yes, they add depth. In Donald Trump's stellar performance on this Wednesday -Economic Independence Day, as the U.S. President called it- where he announced to the world, at the Rose Garden of the White House, how the 'punitive' tariffs on its traditional partners would be, the protagonist was accompanied by a certain Brian Pannebecker. The antagonists were not invited.
Pannebecker is a former worker from the automotive industry in Detroit, specifically from the Ford and Chrysler factories (what could be more American than that), who hasn't punched in for a shift on the assembly line in years. Visor with Trump's logo, gray mustache a la Hulk Hogan, fluorescent vest kept in the car in case of an untimely breakdown... and a speech very much in line with "Make America Great Again," harking back to the days of Ronald Reagan, the first president he voted for, and who he "thought was the best president until Donald Trump came along."
"I grew up in northern Detroit, Michigan," and "I've seen plant after plant close down all my life," Pannebecker said in his speech about the historic industry that went from being a national pride to becoming one of the major symbols of the Rust Belt: the 1,600 kilometers of the U.S. Midwest that factory relocation dyed the orangest hue possible. "Trump's policies are going to bring production back to those underutilized plants and there will be new investments and new plants," added this retired worker, with a statement that resonated more enthusiastically than Trump's own: "We will see the benefits in six months to a year," he said to applause.
However, it doesn't seem like returning to unwrapping sandwiches during break time at the factory is part of this man's plans. He is a well-known figure among supporters of the New York magnate and a longtime Republican who already rallied against immigration in a BBC interview conducted in 2018, where he told the reporter, unfazed: "Illegals have come here and have killed Americans for being criminals or driving drunk."
During the last U.S. election campaign, he founded the Auto Workers for Trump association in response to the strong support of the United Auto Workers union for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. He also spoke at the final rally of the then-candidate held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In a Politico article dated March 2015, reference was made to a part-time Ford worker, Brian Pannebecker, whom House Republicans had invited to testify at a hearing of the Education and Labor Committee. Several racist comments were discovered on his social media accounts, some directed at then-President Barack Obama. He called him "a racial con artist" who "sought to profit from racial tension and animosity."
Also unearthed was a glowing review, written in 2001, of the book 'My Awakening: A Path to Racial Understanding' by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. When asked by Politico, committee members responded that they were unaware of this information when inviting Pannebecker and that they would rescind the invitation.