Since the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump and his acolytes, rightwing media, and coal industry barons and lobbyists have obsessively painted the picture of Trump as a friend to coal miners and the so-called “undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal.” But as labor journalist Kim Kelly reports at In These Times, “the simpering ’Trump digs coal’ image the administration seeks to project is vastly at odds with the actions it’s taken to limit miner protections, endanger their health, and exacerbate the black lung crisis consuming Central Appalachia.” In this episode of Working People, we speak with Kelly about the Trump administration’s latest betrayal of coal miners and their families and its underreported attack on the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission and abrupt, unprecedented firing of FMSHRC Commissioner Moshe Z. Marvit.

Additional links/info:

Kim Kelly website, X/Twitter page, TikTok, Bluesky page, and Instagram
Kim Kelly, In These Times, “Trump’s latest target: Coal miners’ safety”
Jordan Barab, Confined Space, “Friday night massacre at Mine Safety Review Commission”
Kim Kelly, In These Times, “The Trump administration ramps up its war on coal miners”
Kim Kelly, In These Times, “Trump to coal miners: Drop dead”

Featured Music:

Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song

Credits:

Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor

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