WARREN, Michigan: President Donald Trump touted what he called a series of major economic wins and forcefully attacked Democrats during a rally in Michigan on Tuesday (Apr 29), as polling showed Americans growing more sceptical of his hardline approaches on trade and immigration.
During a campaign-style rally meant to commemorate his first 100 days in office, Trump said his moves to impose tariffs on the US’s trading partners could lead to a resurgence in domestic manufacturing.
“We had the greatest economy in the history of our country,” Trump said of his first presidency, from 2017-2021. “We did great, and we’re doing better now.”
Americans have cooled on aspects of Trump’s performance in recent weeks. In particular, people are fretting about Trump’s economic stewardship amid stubborn inflation.
Trump renewed his criticisms of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, saying the central bank head was not doing a good job.
He doubled down on calls for Congress to slash taxes, a plan that nonpartisan budget analysts said could add trillions to the nation’s US$36.6 trillion in debt.
“In the coming weeks and months, we will pass the largest tax cuts in American history, and that will include no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, no tax on overtime,” Trump told the crowd in Warren, which is home to the General Motors Technical Center and located about a dozen miles from downtown Detroit.
The president slammed “radical left lunatics”, briefly verbally sparred with a heckler, and polled the crowd for their favourite nicknames for his predecessor, President Joe Biden.
Trump, who spoke in front of a banner that read, “The Golden Age”, paused to show supporters a slickly produced video montage highlighting the results of his administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration: alleged gang members getting their heads shaved and put in prison. The crowd cheered.
Speaking briefly at a National Guard base before the rally, the president touted his administration’s investments in defence.
“I’ll be supporting a record-setting US$1 trillion investment in our national defence,” said Trump, speaking before dozens of troops, as well as his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Trump told the crowd at the military base in Selfridge the base would receive 21 Boeing F-15X jets. Whitmer said in a statement the move secured the base’s mission and was a “huge, bipartisan win for Michigan” that will protect jobs.
