Trump hails Michigan auto boom, says other nations will no longer ‘pillage your factories’

President Trump on Monday said U.S. auto workers will no longer be “sold out” and see their jobs shipped overseas, pointing to multi-billion-dollar investments in swing-state Michigan and tying it directly to his aggressive use of tariffs.

Mr. Trump faulted past presidents – even Republican hero Ronald Reagan — for letting auto manufacturing slip away to Japan and other countries.

“For decades, the auto workers and manufacturers of this great state were sold out and betrayed by globalist politicians and corrupt special interests who let other countries steal your jobs, pillage your factories and loot the crown jewels of American industry,” Mr. Trump said at the General Motors Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan.

“Every president before me promised to stop it, but none of them did anything,” he said. “They did nothing.”

Mr. Trump pointed to General Motors’ $6 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing, including the expansion at its Orion Township assembly plant.

Also, the White House said Ford Motor Company and Stellantis are making large investments and moving more production to U.S. soil.

The administration said it was the direct result of Mr. Trump imposing a 25% tariff on passenger vehicles and light trucks made outside the U.S.

“The car companies are doing better than they’ve ever done,” Mr. Trump told reporters en route to Michigan. “All because of tariffs and because of me. All because of Trump.”

GM, Ford and Tesla are having strong years. GM beat Wall Street expectations in the second quarter with $48 billion in revenue, up about 2% from the same period in 2025, and earnings per share reaching $3.57.

Mr. Trump recently announced 50% tariffs on a suite of Canadian goods, from cars to hockey sticks, in response to Canadian treatment of U.S. products such as alcohol, autos and dairy that the administration considered discriminatory and unfair.

Separately, Mr. Trump imposed tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on dozens of trading partners, saying they failed to enforce laws against the importation of goods made with forced labor.

Mr. Trump said his tariffs managed to keep Chinese electric vehicles out of the American market, even as Chinese EVs eat into European market share for top German automakers.

“They don’t do anything about it,” Mr. Trump said of European leaders.

Mr. Trump defended his economic record as the GOP faces polling headwinds before the November midterm elections.

The Cook Political Report says Democrats are in a strong position to retake the House majority although it is “not a foregone conclusion,” and Republicans gave themselves a cushion by redistricting key parts of the country.

Mr. Trump is backing Rep. John James in a Republican primary for governor against Perry Johnson, a businessman who flirted with politics in the past but never won a race.

“You have to win, John James,” Mr. Trump said.

A Senate Democratic primary between Rep. Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed is gaining national attention. The winner will face Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is unopposed in the primary.

Retaking the Senate is a taller order for Democrats, though polling suggests they could eat into the GOP majority.

Mr. Trump told voters that Democrats want to turn the U.S. into a communist country.

“In one year, the country will be absolutely bankrupt. You’ll live in squalor, you’ll live in fear,” he said. “Even the thought of it is a disaster.”

The GM plant in Milford is located in Oakland County, a politically vital area of swing-state Michigan.

The county backed the Democratic nominee in the last three presidential elections, but Mr. Trump won Michigan overall in 2016 and 2024.

Mr. Trump delivered his rally-style speech to a cheering crowd after a car demonstration and drag race outdoors.

“That’s the largest piece of asphalt I think I’ve ever seen,” Mr. Trump said. “I’ve seen a lot of big asphalt, but I’ve never seen one that big. I said, ’You gotta be kidding.’”

Mr. Trump broadly defended the GOP agenda, highlighting legislation that eliminated taxes on tipped income and overtime.

He said his tariffs, which are duties on foreign goods brought into U.S. markets, will create revenue, give the U.S. leverage over other countries and spur investment in American factories and jobs.

“When they build here, there’s no tariff,” Mr. Trump said.

Critics of Mr. Trump’s trade plans say tariffs primarily raise costs on U.S. consumers, while upending relationships with friendly nations.

We Pay the Tariffs, a small-business coalition that opposes Mr. Trump’s levies, estimated that Michigan businesses have paid $22 billion in tariffs since March 2025.

Congressional Democrats say Americans cannot afford added costs on top of stubborn inflation.

The rate of price increases eased in the government’s most recent inflation report, but the war in Iran is causing energy shocks that make it difficult to rein in costs.

The average U.S. price of gas stood at $4.11 on Monday, unchanged from the previous day but a 38% increase from when the war started on Feb. 28, according to the AAA motor club.