President Trump trumpeted his tariffs, admired a Corvette and a Cadillac, and told autoworkers he’s done more for them than their parents during his stop in Michigan on Monday.
Trump was in the swing state to tout his handling of the economy ahead of the midterm elections. He specifically focused on his tariffs and how they targeted foreign-made automobiles.
“It’s amazing what tariffs will do for General Motors,” he said during his tour of a GM testing facility in Milford. “They’re doing great. General Motors is doing fantastic. They’re having the best year they ever had.”
“The rest of the world doesn’t love me,” he noted of the 25% tariff rate he placed on imported automobiles, adding: “But that’s OK. It’s called America first.”
He told a crowd of autoworkers that the industry is “back” and bragged to them: “I’ve done more for you than your parents. OK? Your parents are good. I’m not going to knock your parents, but I have been better to you than your parents.”
The American auto industry has struggled to recover from the COVID pandemic and to keep pace with foreign competition. New car sales have been stagnant due to rising prices and general inflation.
But Trump championed the importance of autos made in the USA, telling a story of how his father Fred Trump bought himself a new Cadillac every two years.
“I had a wonderful father, and he was a hard worker,” Trump said. “You know what he wanted? A Cadillac every two years. This was to him the sign of luxury. This was the greatest thing.”
And he noted the presidential limousine, known as The Beast, was built at that GM factory. Plus, he added, the government bought several hundred Escalades, which are used by the Secret Service in the presidential motorcade.
“You know, we look sharp in those Escalades. Our guys are very spoiled. They’re very spoiled,” he said.
During his tour of the factory, the president saw several defense tactical vehicles and expressed his admiration for them.
“How about you send me a couple?,” he joked to GM chief Mary Barra.
Trump also announced good news: he was “giving all American car companies the right to build what are known as tiny little tiny car.”
The president’s visit was auto-heavy. Trump observed a drag race of cars and trucks on the GM track, pumping his fist after watching the Corvette, Cadillac and Hummer vehicles compete.
That was followed by a tour of the facility where Trump signed a white Corvette that was made specifically for America’s 250th birthday and sat in a metallic blue Cadillac.
A few protesters interrupted his remarks, to which the president quipped: “It’s the communists.”
Politics did come into play. The president brought several Michigan Republicans onto the stage, including Rep. Mike Rogers, who is unopposed in the Senate primary. Rogers, in his remarks, promised to support the Save America Act, the president’s signature voting legislation.
Ahead of the state’s August 4th primary, Trump also touted his pick for governor: Rep. John James, who’s competing in the primary against Mike Cox and Perry Johnson.
“You have to win, John James,” Trump said. “You have to win.”
Democrats said they welcomed Trump to the state.
“You know, we’re not unhappy Donald Trump’s here,” state Democratic Party chairman Curtis Hertel told reporters on a briefing call.
“At the end of the day, I think Donald Trump is the best spokesperson that the Michigan Democratic Party can have. He is the most unpopular president at this point in his term in Michigan that I think we’ve ever seen.”
Trump, however, in the 2024 election, flipped Michigan back to red after Joe Biden won it in 2020.
