‘A Lot of Chaos’: Corporate America Tries to Keep Up With Trump

The chief executives of General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. made recent pilgrimages to Washington to figure out answers to questions on every CEO’s mind: How do you know which policies President Donald Trump will push through, attempt to influence his decisions, and, meanwhile, explain the business impact to investors without irritating the vocal — and very online — president?

The car chiefs met with lobbyists, trade groups and Republican Congress members from states in the so-called Battery Belt in an attempt to delay a repeal of Biden-era electric-vehicle tax credits Trump has railed against and talk to the administration about tariffs.

“President Trump has talked a ...