Trump stuns Michigan with economic message in West Michigan, Warren

Republican former President Donald Trump made a two-stop push in Michigan on Friday, touting an economic message that he would cut corporate income taxes and bolster the domestic auto industry through an aggressive set of taxes on foreign autos.

During a brief town hall meeting at Macomb Community College in Warren, Trump answered a series of questions from participants who identified themselves as autoworkers and said he planned to impose high taxes on any attempt to import cars into the United States, reducing competition from China and also automakers. He said that he also targets competition in the sector. From our trade ally Mexico.

“They have to pay a price for this,” Trump said during the town hall, which lasted about half an hour and was attended by an audience of 12,000 people, according to a campaign spokesman. It was moderated by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee.

Warren’s visit was preceded by a stop in western Michigan; Republican presidential candidate Trump, who is facing Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 general election here, spoke to his supporters at a manufacturing facility in the Grand Rapids suburb.

In these words of Walker, Trump also focused on plans to increase manufacturing employment and said he plans to cut the federal corporate tax rate from 21% to 15% only for companies that make their products in the United States. Tariffs of 100% to 200% on automobiles manufactured in Mexico and imported into the United States

But such a plan would run afoul of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal negotiated by Trump, which was touted as the crowning achievement of his administration before he left office after his first term. This regulation allows Mexican-made cars to be imported into the United States without any tariffs, provided the car meets certain rules regarding where it is assembled and the origin of its components and materials.

Many automakers now have facilities in Mexico and are taking advantage of lower labor costs and trade provisions negotiated through the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement during Trump’s presidency.

More: In Michigan, Trump calls for lowering corporate taxes and increasing tariffs on foreign products

More: Watch the replay: Former President Donald Trump holds town hall in Warren

Trump also told Warren he would continue his plans to raise tariffs and cut taxes with or without help from Congress. “If they don’t, I have the authority and power to do it myself,” he said.

Income tax rates are determined by law, although an administration has certain powers to increase tariffs on goods, especially if this is deemed a matter of national security. Trump’s plan to tie tax rates to the site of production also leaves out the real question of where the materials and components for that production come from if they’re not readily available in the United States.

But Trump has repeatedly referred to tariffs, calling it “a nice word when used correctly,” even though tariffs are costs that are often passed on to consumers, leading to higher prices.

Trump is leaning more towards the town hall format. Last week, He held a meeting with Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in Flint.

Ahead of Trump’s visit on Friday, Harris released a statement saying Trump “made empty promise after empty promise to American workers but never followed through,” noting that the U.S. lost hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs during his time in office, but most of them were realized. Due to closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of auto industry jobs in Michigan fell during Trump’s tenure, even before the pandemic. Auto manufacturing jobs have increased steadily in the state during President Joe Biden’s tenure, but employment for parts suppliers has declined.

While Harris is pushing her own plans to provide tax breaks to first-time home buyers and small business ventures. He has repeatedly said Trump’s plans would increase costs on consumers.

“American workers deserve a leader who keeps his promises and stands up for workers when it matters,” he said. “As president, I will bring jobs for auto workers back to this country and create an economy of opportunity that strengthens manufacturing, unions, and builds prosperity and security for America’s future.”

But Trump accused Harris of being “incompetent” and vowed to rescind what he and other Republicans called Biden’s “authority” to force the American people to buy electric vehicles.

No such mandate exists, but the Biden administration has enacted rules that, if they remain in effect, would require more than 60% of all new cars sold by 2032 to be electric vehicles, or automakers could face hefty fines. But the policy doesn’t specifically say that automakers will have to sell electric vehicles if they find other ways to meet emissions standards.

“They have an electric mandate. They say every car is going to be electric,” Trump falsely said. “We will end this.”

Trump also said he would get rid of the standards on his first day in office, but that such a change would have to go through a lengthy bureaucratic procedure to become law.

Macomb Community College was packed with hundreds of Trump supporters who stood to hear from the former president. Messages from the Trump campaign echoed as attendees walked past a table, encouraging them to register to participate in the election and request an absentee ballot, while a huge message urging them to vote early.

Trump answered a personal question posed to him by a Warren attendee. When asked what his favorite car was, he recalled how his father, real estate developer Fred Trump, bought Cadillacs.

“All he loved was Cadillac. … It’s a very good car,” he said. “My dad loved Cadillacs, and that’s good enough for me.”

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Contact Todd Spangler: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler.