President Donald Trump visited Michigan Tuesday in a bid to shore up support for his economic policies and justify his tariffs as a critical booster to the state's automotive industry.
Trump began with a tour of Ford's River Rouge complex in Dearborn before speaking to business leaders at a Detroit Economic Club event in the MotorCity Casino in downtown Detroit.
The president said he is making good on his campaign pledges to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and help protect Detroit’s auto industry.
"Just as I promised you that, I’ve imposed a 25% tariff on all foreign automobiles. I’m standing up for the American autoworker like no president has ever stood up before," Trump told the economic club.
Federal data shows Michigan's automotive sector has shed thousands of jobs in the last few months, and manufacturing employment nationwide has been falling each month since April 2025.
Michigan's big three automakers have had mixed success in Trump's second term. Ford announced late last year that it's scrapping plans for a fully electric F-150 pickup truck and pivoting away from electric vehicles more generally after taking billions of dollars in losses on its effort to shift toward EVs.
Meanwhile General Motors posted earnings that surpassed Wall Street expectations.
And Stellantis, which owns brands like Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge, is planning big investments in Michigan despite that its share of vehicle sales has dropped precipitously in the last few years.
Trump took credit for the decisions of car manufacturers that have increased their U.S. investments in his Detroit speech. "They were going in the opposite direction. Now they're pouring back," he said. "It's the greatest. Nobody's ever seen anything like it. And much of that money is coming right here to the car making capital of the world: Detroit."
Trump also said his tariffs are the reason for a shrinking U.S. trade deficit. Speaking with reporters after Trump's address, Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) said that's a key factor for economic growth.
"Essentially America was losing wealth and we were transferring that wealth to other countries," Hall said. "Ultimately, you know, in order to get people the wages they need and to have good manufacturing, you need something to level that playing field. And that's what President Trump's doing."
Still, for many in Michigan and across the country, economic gains have not been apparent. Grocery prices have been rising, and Trump's declaration in Detroit that he's "defeated" inflation didn't seem to square with numbers released earlier in the day showing that prices rose 2.7% over the last year — though gas prices have been notably low in Michigan recently.
Hundreds of protesters outside the MotorCity Casino raised economic and other grievances with the Trump administration. Many cited U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a major source of their anger.
Marquita Neasom called ICE’s recent aggressive behavior across the country “inhumane” and “not right.” She said people need to stand up against it.
“We got a voice and we got to use it. I don't want to sit by and just watch all this go on and not do nothing, just sit in the house and sit on social media. It's not going to help," Neasom said.
Sarah Reed of Farmington Hills said she is the grand-daughter of a Holocaust survivor. She said she wants people to keep hitting the streets in protest.
“Somebody has to stand up. And if it's not going to be Congress, it's not going to be anybody (else), we've got to do it ourselves," said Reed.
The demonstrations were not violent, although Detroit police said two protesters were arrested for refusing to follow officers' instructions.
Michigan Public Radio Network's Colin Jackson contributed reporting.
