Former President Donald Trump made a promise to “reclaim America’s manufacturing power” during two events in Michigan, a key battleground state. Speaking to thousands of autoworkers at rallies in Walker and Warren, Trump reiterated his commitment to implementing policies that would boost manufacturing and protect American jobs if he is reelected. He expressed his desire for German car companies to become American car companies and for Asian electronics companies to become Michigan electronics companies. To achieve this, Trump stated that he would impose tariffs on foreign imports and provide favorable conditions for companies producing in the United States.
Vice President Kamala Harris criticized Trump’s 2020 trade deal with Mexico and Canada ahead of his visit, claiming that it facilitated the transfer of U.S. auto jobs to Mexico. She emphasized her support for autoworkers and pledged to bring back autoworker jobs if elected president.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union endorsed Harris in late July but accused Trump and Elon Musk of unfair labor practices shortly after. The National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating these allegations.
During the presidential debate, Harris highlighted American-made cars as part of her plan for a “green energy economy.” The Biden administration has implemented strict auto emissions standards to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.
Neither Trump nor Harris received the endorsement of another large labor union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Internal polling from the union showed that 58 percent of its members support Trump for president.
In terms of polling data, as of September 27th, Harris held a slight lead over Trump in Michigan according to RealClearPolitics’ average opinion polls. However, this lead falls within the margin of error, making it a statistical tie.
During his visit on Friday, approximately 5,000 people attended one event at Macomb Community College fieldhouse in Warren. About one-third of attendees were autoworkers based on a show-of-hands count requested by town hall moderator Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Macomb County is home to major employers such as Ford and General Motors with around 65,000 workers employed in manufacturing jobs.
Several audience members had an opportunity to ask questions directly to Trump during these events. Topics ranged from illegal immigration’s impact on American workers’ job opportunities—wherein he promised stricter border policies—to concerns about layoffs due to current administration policies affecting manufacturing plants.
