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Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have made numerous campaign stops in Michigan since their official nomination in July. The pair is ramping up its visits in an attempt to secure the key battleground state in November.
Vance made his fourth stop in West Michigan Wednesday afternoon at Berlin Raceway in Marne. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, and Vance are prioritizing winning over rural voters. Vance, raised in Middletown, Ohio, and Walz, raised in West Point, Neb., are trying to convey to rural constituents that they would be represented under their respective administrations because of their Midwestern backgrounds.
Vance began his remarks by emphasizing that he and Trump are prepared to lead an American manufacturing revival.
“Donald Trump and I are ready to lead a great American manufacturing renaissance,” Vance said. “We’ve got to make more in America and we’ve got to do it with the hands of Michigan workers.”
Vance spent most of his speech condemning Harris’ policies, stating that she attacked Michigan’s auto industry by pushing for electric vehicle mandates. He also falsely claimed Harris’ policies would tax residents to subsidize wealthy individuals buying Chinese-made cars.
“We’ve got a vice president who has declared war on the Michigan auto industry and has said that she wants to force everybody to drive an electric vehicle,” Vance said. “Is that a good deal for the state of Michigan? Now, it’s not only that (Harris) wants to make everybody drive an electric vehicle, she wants to tax all of you so that she can give rich people money to buy cars that were manufactured in China.”
Vance’s views have aligned with Trump’s stance on immigration and border security, echoing Trump’s call for building a wall along the U.S.–Mexico border to reduce the flow of undocumented migrants into the country. Their platform states that undocumented immigrants are inflating housing costs by competing with Americans for limited homes. At the rally, Vance said Americans cannot afford a place to live to build a foundation for their families.
“You’ve got illegal aliens competing with Americans for scarce homes,” Vance said. “What does that do? It drives up the cost of housing for a lot of young American families. I believe that we want young Americans to be able to afford a stake in their own country.”
Trump stopped in Saginaw County for the second time since launching his reelection campaign and spoke at Saginaw Valley State University. During his visit, he promised to cut taxes, end inflation and restore the state’s auto industry.
During his remarks, Trump claimed that his administration’s policies resulted in the most robust economy in U.S. history and echoed Vance’s statement about a manufacturing renaissance.
“We can soon have soaring income, skyrocketing wealth, millions and millions of new jobs and a booming middle class,” Trump said. “You know we had the best four-year period of any president in history. … Instead of a manufacturing recession, we can have a manufacturing renaissance, which is what we want, especially here. We can live in cities and towns that are safe and clean and borders that are sealed and secure.”
He also accused Harris of introducing high taxes. Trump emphasized that he would lower tax rates and costs for all Americans, compared to politicians like Harris.
“If Kamala is reelected, one of her first acts will be to massively raise taxes for the American family,” Trump said. “Under Kamala, prices have already soared. Now, she’s making it worse with even higher taxes. Taxes are going to have to lower.”
Trump, who has criticized current trade policy with China and Mexico, blamed the Biden-Harris administration and foreign governments for the decline in Michigan’s auto industry and said he would reinvigorate the state’s economy.
“For years, Americans have watched as our country has been stripped of our jobs,” Trump said. “By the way, this state, more than any other, you lost 60% of your automobile business over the years. And, a lot of it went to China, but a lot of it is currently going to Mexico. And China owns it. But it’s going to Mexico. They think they’re going to make cars. … It won’t happen.”
In an email to The Michigan Daily, LSA junior Austin Cowley, president and founder of Turning Point USA at the University of Michigan, wrote that the Republican ticket is working hard to secure battleground states. Cowley emphasized that potential inconsistencies in election polls should be accounted for.
“President Trump and Senator Vance have been taking this election seriously as we see them campaign in all of the pivotal swing states in the Rust Belt, including Michigan and the Sun Belt,” Cowley wrote. “Polls in the state of Michigan essentially have the race as a tie, which favors President Trump because the polls almost always skew in favor to the Democrat candidate in years past, for example, in 2016 and 2020.”
Daily Staff Reporters Shane Baum and Andrew Baum can be reached at smbaum@umich.edu and asbaum@umich.edu.
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