President Trump denies he's to blame for Harley-Davidson decision, Walker avoids criticizing Trump over Harley

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and Harley-Davidson (all times local):

9:40 a.m.

Gov. Scott Walker is not engaging with President Donald Trump as he criticizes Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson for moving some production overseas.

Harley said Monday it came to its decision because of retaliatory tariffs it faces in an escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and the European Union.

Walker spokeswoman Amy Hasenberg said Tuesday that the governor "believes there should be no tariffs or trade barriers as the President stated earlier this month at the G7 summit. When there's a level playing field, American workers and businesses win."

Walker has a deep love for Harley motorcycles and has ridden his all over Wisconsin. When he ran for president, Walker said his Secret Service code name would be "Harley."
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8:38 a.m.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's full-throttled love of Harley-Davidson motorcycles has been intertwined with his rising political career.

But now the Republican governor faces revved up criticism of the Milwaukee-based company from President Donald Trump. The president on Tuesday tweeted that if Harley goes through with its plans to move some production overseas, "it will be the beginning of the end."
Harley said Monday it came to its decision because of retaliatory tariffs it faces in an escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and the European Union.

Walker has avoided directly criticizing Trump on the issue, saying instead that no tariffs would be good for Wisconsin manufacturers and farmers.

The Harley bashing comes as Trump is scheduled to join Walker in Wisconsin on Thursday for the groundbreaking of a Foxconn Technology Group factory.
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump is denying that his trade policy is responsible for Harley-Davidson's decision to shift some motorcycle production overseas.

The company says it's doing so because of tariffs it's facing in a trade dispute between the U.S. and the European Union. But Trump says that's an excuse.

Trump says in tweets Tuesday that the company had already announced it was closing a Kansas City plant. Union officials have said those jobs are going to Thailand. Harley-Davidson has denied that.

Says Trump: "That was long before Tariffs were announced. Hence, they were just using Tariffs/Trade War as an excuse. Shows how unbalanced & unfair trade is, but we will fix it ...."

Trump says he's getting other countries to reduce and eliminate tariffs and trade barriers, and open up markets.

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