MILFORD, Mich. (AP) 鈥� Flying to a rally at General Motors this week, President declared that 鈥渃ar companies are doing better than they鈥檝e ever done” thanks to his .
“All because of Trump,鈥� he said.
It was a message the president repeated while touring a collection of new vehicles, predicting that “it鈥檚 amazing what tariffs will do for General Motors” before autographing a white Corvette commemorating America鈥檚 250th anniversary. He later told a crowd of cheering supporters that 鈥淢ichigan is thriving.鈥�
That’s not exactly true, at least according to many metrics. Tariffs have cost businesses in Michigan and across the country billions of dollars while helping to stoke 鈥� despite Trump’s assurances that his business background would wipe it out.
Many Americans and the has also increased gasoline prices, hurting consumer while keeping Trump’s approval ratings
There are few places where contradictions between the president’s boasts and the economic reality of his tariffs are more likely to collide ahead of November’s than in battleground Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday. Trump won the state in 2016 and then again in 2024, after it had flipped to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.
During his rally in Milford, northwest of Detroit, the crowd was adoring. But even some of Trump’s ardent supporters said prices are too high and tariffs had caused short-term economic pain 鈥� even as they still support the president overall.
Lisa Scherer, a 64-year-old who used to run a landscaping company and work as a bus driver and union steward, acknowledged that high gas prices are 鈥渉urting a lot鈥� and it is 鈥渧ery rough鈥� to afford things.
鈥淏ut I鈥檓 just hoping, if we hang in there,鈥� she said, emphasizing that she still thinks the president is doing a good job.
Michigan and Canada have deep trade ties
Though the Supreme Court many of the tariffs Trump ordered upon first returning to the White House, the administration has launched new import taxes and recently invoked the Tariff Act of 1930 to accuse Canada of using discriminatory practices and plans to on many imports from that country.
Michigan relies on supply chains that are heavily integrated with Canada after decades of policies that encouraged reducing bilateral trade barriers. That included the from Trump鈥檚 first term. Trump chose not to renew that trade pact, setting up years of negotiations.
GM said it was 鈥渉onored to spend time showcasing our vehicles and facilities鈥� for Trump. But automakers have long said that 鈥� so much so that the president offered them a reprieve from his auto-part tariffs, extending in October what was supposed to have been a until 2030.
Veteran Michigan pollster Bernie Porn said Trump’s rosy words can’t hide how his tariffs are helping intensify voters’ concerns about inflation and affordability.
鈥淲hen I was listening to him, I said, 鈥榃hat planet are you on?鈥�” Porn said.
Porn noted that some Republicans nationally are worried that their voters won’t be motivated to turn out in November and 鈥淚 doubt if Michigan is going to be very different.”
鈥淗e is like an anchor around Republicans,鈥� Porn said.
Trump’s policies don’t bother Joe Miskovich, the 57-year-old owner of an aerospace business from Fenton, Michigan, about 20 miles north of Milford. He said of tariffs that 鈥渢he American public needs to look at the bigger picture.”
People need to see, Miskovich said, that “yes, granted, there might be a little higher increase in price. But the long-term effect is going to be absolutely positive to the nation.鈥�
Trump is helping decide next week’s primaries
As he’s done in key midterm primary races nationwide, the president has used to help ensure candidates he sees as most loyal or potentially helpful to his policies prevail. In Michigan’s Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, Trump has endorsed Congressman John James over rival Perry Johnson.
Also speaking was former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is again running for Senate after narrowly losing to Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin two years ago.
More national attention has been focused on the state’s Democratic Senate primary, which will decide if Rogers faces Rep. or progressive favorite . But Rogers said Michigan needs a senator who promotes Trump’s agenda, not someone who works to stymie it.
鈥淭his is the time that we will stand up and get Michigan up off of her knees,鈥� he said at Trump’s rally.
Scherer, who once ran the landscaping company, drove nearly five hours from her home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, to see Trump’s speech. She’s nonetheless worried that the president has left behind some supporters like herself who helped get him back to the White House.
鈥淚鈥檓 brutally honest, like Trump is, aren鈥檛 I? He鈥檚 forgot about the people on a fixed income,鈥� said Scherer, who lives on Social Security benefits of $1,100 per month. 鈥淏ut I look at it like, I guess, No pain, no gain.鈥�
Automakers plan to increase domestic production 鈥� eventually
Republican Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall praised tariffs at Trump鈥檚 rally, while also noting that the president last year announced a new fighter jet mission that secured the future of the state鈥檚 .
鈥淭his is what putting Michigan first looks like,鈥� he said.
Some auto companies have pledged to ramp up U.S. production, yet those benefits aren’t being felt yet. GM in June 2025 that it planned to invest $4 billion to shift some vehicle production from Mexico to the U.S. starting next year.
Ford and Stellantis, which owns Chrysler, have a similar timeline for expanding domestic operations.
Toyota also said it would invest $3.6 billion and relocate production of its Tacoma pickup from Mexico to Texas, but that will happen over roughly four years.
In the meantime, Michigan has seen only modest increases in auto sector job creation during Trump’s second term, while jobs tied to auto parts manufacturing statewide through June when compared to the same month last year.
Michigan has lost 8,300 manufacturing jobs since Trump announced his 鈥淟iberation Day鈥� tariffs in April of last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Among some of Trump’s base, economic worries show
Outwardly, the rally was a lovefest. When the president told of encountering a 鈥渂eautiful鈥� waitress in Las Vegas during the 2024 campaign, a man in the audience bellowed, 鈥淵ou’re beautiful!鈥�
Later, the crowd began chanting 鈥�10 more years!鈥� when Trump talked about needing to leave office after January 2029.
鈥淭rump is, like, No. 1. You know, he鈥檚 the best,鈥� said Rose Stroud, 75, who attended the rally from Commerce, Michigan. 鈥淗e thinks about the people, about what they need.鈥�
Some attendees insisted that the president should get the benefit of the doubt 鈥� even as concerns about kitchen table issues tick up.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always a method to the madness, and people sometimes don鈥檛 understand or get it,” said Roy Parks, 49, a self-employed handyman, photographer and videographer from Milford. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 always a reason he鈥檚 doing things a certain way, and it may not make sense at first, but after six, twelve months, it all comes together.”
He said the same goes for tariffs: “You may not like it at first, but it鈥檚 a short-term pinch, short-term pain, but long-term good. It works out in the end. It鈥檚 for the best.鈥�
鈥淲hen you rip off the Band-Aid right away, it stings,” Parks added. “But, after a few minutes, there鈥檚 no pain. You have to go through a little bit of pain at first to get to long-term good.鈥�
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