Former Vice President Mike Pence's one-liner arguing President Biden belongs in the "unemployment line" fell flat and garnered a muted audience reaction during the second Republican debate Wednesday night.
"Joe Biden doesn't belong on a picket line, he belongs on the unemployment line," Pence remarked when asked about the ongoing autoworker strike.
The line, which Pence appeared to expect to draw an audience reaction, was met largely with silence.
Earlier this month, the United Auto Workers union unleashed its first-ever simultaneous strike against all three of the largest U.S. automakers over wages, a modified work week and pension benefits. The strike, which has since expanded to more factories, has already cost the economy roughly $1.6 billion, according to a recent analysis.
GOP DEBATE: REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THE ECONOMY AND MORE | LIVE UPDATES
The former vice president then added that Biden's green energy agenda, which calls for greater adoption of electric vehicles, was to blame for strife in the U.S. auto industry.
"I know something about manufacturing. And I got to tell you, while the union bosses are talking about class warfare and talking about disparity in wages, I have to tell you, I really believe what's driving that is: Bidenomics is failing. Wages are not keeping up with inflation, autoworkers and all American workers are feeling it and families are struggling in this economy."
"And Joe Biden's Green New Deal agenda is good for Beijing and bad for Detroit," he continued. "We ought to repeal the Green New Deal, and get rid of the mandates and subsidies that are driving American gasoline and automotive manufacturing into the graveyard."
SECOND GOP PRIMARY DEBATE: A LOOK AT NET WORTHS, BACKGROUNDS OF TOP CANDIDATES
The second RNC debate is being held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, is being televised on the FOX Business Network and UNIVISION.
To qualify for the debate, candidates were required to have at least 3% support in two national polls or 3% in one national poll as well as two polls from four of the early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. Candidates also needed to show they had at least 50,000 individual donors.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
On Tuesday, the RNC announced where the seven Republican candidates participating in the debate will stand on stage. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to stand center stage flanked by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, North Dakota Gov Doug Burgum and former Vice President Mike Pence.
