Former President Donald Trump delivered a speech in the suburbs of Detroit, where he criticized President Biden, Democrats, and the big three automakers over their focus on electric cars. Speaking at an auto parts manufacturer, Trump praised the work of auto workers and lamented that automakers were investing in electric cars that he deemed expensive and lacking in range. He also attacked President Biden’s record on auto manufacturing and accused him of assassinating the industry. The former president’s visit to Michigan occurred before Biden’s, and Trump expressed hope that union leaders would endorse him.
In his speech, Trump accused President Biden of passing tax breaks for the wealthy while auto factories closed and jobs were lost in Michigan. He accused the president of not standing up for workers and described his policies as disastrous. The Democratic National Committee erected billboards in Detroit ahead of Trump’s visit, and the Biden campaign released an ad in Michigan positioning Trump as anti-union. The Trump campaign dismissed Biden’s visit as a PR stunt. Trump has been consistently criticizing Biden’s support for electric vehicles and has taken steps during his own presidency to promote the transition towards EVs.
Simultaneously, a GOP presidential debate took place in California, featuring Republican contenders such as Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, among others. Despite Trump’s absence from the debate, his poll numbers remain strong, indicating that his decision to skip the event has not affected his popularity among Republicans. DeSantis, however, argued that Trump owed it to voters to participate and defend his record. Trump referred to the debate as a “jobs” debate and joked about potential vice presidential candidates among the contenders.