In his first campaign-style political rally since Inauguration Day, President Donald Trump appeared in Michigan yesterday to commemorate his first 100 days in office since reclaiming the White House, touting his achievements so far.
Many attendees of the rally, held at Macomb Community College in Warren, were automotive workers who stand to benefit the most from his 25 percent tariff on imported cars.
“We’re here tonight in the heartland of our nation to celebrate the most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country,” Trump told his supporters.
“After decades of politicians who destroyed Detroit to build up Beijing, you finally have a champion for workers in the White House, and instead of putting China first, I’m putting Michigan first.”
The president was upbeat and energized throughout the event, speaking for around 90 minutes to a crowd numbering around a thousand.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has rolled out a raft of executive actions and sweeping policy changes, including more than 135 executive orders—surpassing even President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who signed 99 in the same period.
At the opening of his speech, he outlined his administration’s top achievements and emphasized enhanced border security, the core pillar of his 2024 campaign.
“I can proudly report that the betrayal is over and that we have achieved the most secure border in American history,” Trump said, citing figures from the Department of Defense reporting that illegal border crossings are down 99.99 percent due to Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security joint operations.
He also cited robust job creation over the first three months of his term: “For the first time in memory, job gains for native-born Americans now exceed job gains for foreign workers.”
In a symbolic move, Trump chose to celebrate the crucial day in the Great Lakes State, the heart of the U.S. automotive industry, which his recent tariff policy has heavily impacted. Earlier this month, Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on imported vehicles to bolster domestic car manufacturing.
Macomb County, Michigan’s third-largest county, was a major contributor to Trump’s victory in Michigan. Trump won Michigan by 1.4 percent, flipping a key swing state that President Joe Biden had carried by 2.8 percent in 2020.
For his supporters, these first 100 days mark a bold return to American strength and values. His critics, however, argue the administration’s rapid changes constitute executive overreach.
Many of Trump’s policies have faced resistance in the courts. Meanwhile, public support for his economic agenda has declined in recent weeks, according to polls.
During his speech, Trump took aim at pollsters, saying, “They do these polls where they interview far more Democrats than Republicans.”
The pro-manufacturing sentiment in Macomb County, which sits just north of Detroit, was evident at the event. The venue where Trump spoke was adorned with signs reading, “The American Dream Is Back,” “Golden Age,” and “100 Days of Greatness.” The crowd was enthusiastic about the potential impact that the tariffs could have on jobs and manufacturing in the region.
Macomb County is a proudly blue-collar area, Brian Pannebecker, a 20-year veteran of the United Auto Workers (UAW), told NTD, The Epoch Times’ sister media outlet.
He described Macomb residents as “blue collar, hardworking, middle-class people who get up every day and do the hard jobs. They may not have college degrees, but they get up every day and work hard to support their families.”
Douglas King, a nearly 30-year veteran at the Stellantis factory in Michigan, was one of the 20 UAW members invited to the White House on April 2, when Trump announced broad tariffs on nearly every trade partner of the United States.
In comments to The Epoch Times, King referenced reports that Stellantis had been moving some production overseas to lower labor costs over the past few years.
“These tariffs will put an absolute stop to that,” King said.
Pannebecker said that auto workers are largely aligned with Trump on the issue.
Asked how they had responded to the tariffs, he said, “Of course, not everyone understands them, not everyone is comfortable with them, but the vast majority of the auto workers support Donald Trump. They trust him.”
—Emel Akan and Joseph Lord
BOOKMARKS
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—Stacy Robinson
