President Donald Trump dances to music before taking the stage at General Motors' Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan, on Monday. [AFP]
President Donald Trump dances to music before taking the stage at General Motors' Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan, on Monday. [AFP]

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President Donald Trump visited Michigan, the heart of the American auto industry, on Monday (local time) to promote his signature tariff policy and tout his administration's economic achievements.

Trump delivered remarks at General Motors' Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan — the world's first automotive proving ground, built by GM.

Trump called himself "the first sitting president to visit the most legendary site in the history of the American auto industry," and noted that the presidential state car, known as "The Beast," was designed, built and tested there. He said the tariff policy he has driven since returning to office is fueling a revival of the American auto industry, and that rolling back environmental regulations has benefited both drivers and automakers.

Trump said other countries had stolen jobs and "raided" factories from the region, blaming what he called "globalist politicians and corrupt special interests" in the existing political establishment.

"Now all of that is changing, because I have imposed historic tariffs on foreign producers and manufacturers — including a 25 percent tariff on foreign-made cars," he said, describing himself as "a president who fights for Michigan auto workers and puts America first."

He claimed that thanks to tariffs, German automakers "Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen are getting decimated," and that "there is not a single Chinese car in our country." He then said companies including Toyota and Hyundai Motor, which have production facilities in Mexico, "are moving their production to the United States."

Trump also said he had rolled back emissions regulations from the Joe Biden administration, promising the move "will save the average American family almost $3,000 when buying a new car, SUV or truck."

By highlighting his record, Trump appeared to be appealing to Michigan voters ahead of the midterm elections, given that the state's economic fortunes are closely tied to the auto industry. Michigan is considered a battleground state in the November midterms, where Republicans and Democrats are locked in a fierce contest for a US Senate seat. Analysts say whichever party wins the seat could determine control of the Senate majority.

Trump called Republican candidates in the region to the stage one by one, telling the crowd they faced "a tough race" and urging voters to turn out for them.

Trump had also visited Michigan in January, touring a Ford factory in Dearborn — another pillar of the American auto industry alongside GM — and promoting the economic benefits of reciprocal tariffs ahead of a Supreme Court ruling on the matter.

Michigan, along with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, forms part of the Rust Belt, the cluster of declining industrial states around the Great Lakes. In the last presidential election, Trump swept all three of these competitive states by campaigning on a pledge to revive American manufacturing.


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