DETROIT — Amid a freewheeling address to the Detroit Economic Club that he used to lay out new policy proposals, Donald Trump warned the “whole country will end up being like Detroit” if Kamala Harris is elected — “a mess.”

The Republican presidential nominee spent more than two hours addressing a crowd primarily of supporters at the MotorCity Casino on Thursday, promising a litany of tax cuts, deductions and credits that he argued would “save” the domestic auto industry.

“If we win the election, I would stay right here, and I would follow the gravy train,” Trump told Detroit-area business leaders who attended the event. Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, would instead “destroy Michigan,” repeating a false claim she is “going to ban” gas-powered vehicles.

Eight years ago, Trump chose the Detroit Economic Club for a crucial policy speech in his first presidential campaign, unveiling his economic plans and detailing a suite of policy proposals that brought critical details to his nascent political movement.

As he seeks a return to the White House, Trump again chose the Detroit club for what his campaign billed as a major economic speech. But the Thursday event showcased how his style and temperament have changed. 

Instead of another tight speech that stuck mostly to his prospective agenda, Trump spent the majority of his time on stage avoiding prepared remarks and drifting to unrelated topics.

Related:

• Kamala Harris calls Donald Trump a ‘disaster’ for Michigan autos. Here are the facts
• From TikTok to tailgates, Trump and Harris woo young Michigan voters
• Deep in Michigan’s car country, switch to EVs fuels anxieties before election

He derided his political opponents, the press and the federal disaster response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, making lengthy discursions into foreign policy and immigration that mirrored his signature rallies.

His rhetoric was also more vitriolic than during his 2016 appearance.

“These people are sick,” Trump said of those who want to electrify vehicles. He called his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris “dumber than hell.”

Tax deductions for auto loan interest

In 2016 Trump laid out promises such as abandoning or renegotiating major trade agreements — which he did as president — and to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which he failed to do.

Thursday in Detroit, Trump said he wants to renegotiate the United States Mexico Canada Trade Agreement, itself a renegotiation he signed as president in 2019, in order to raise tariffs on automotive goods coming from Mexico.

He also said he wants to make interest payments on auto loans tax deductible to encourage consumer purchases, similar to the deductions available to mortgage interest. Trump’s 2017 tax cuts increased the standard deduction to the point that the vast majority of taxpayers use it instead of itemizing deductions.

Trump also said he would cut the corporate tax rate to 15%, but “only for those who make their product in the USA,” leaving it unclear how that would impact industries that don’t produce tangible goods. Trump also proposed a 15% tax rate in 2016 but later signed a cut to 21%.

Trump also promised to issue tariffs on cars made in Mexico and shipped to the U.S., but it was unclear whether Trump would apply the tariffs to cars that Michigan automakers manufactured in Mexico, too.

“They are not going to plunder, rape, and steal our car Industry,” Trump said in the speech. “Those jobs are coming back to Michigan, and it’s non-negotiable.”

In a press call ahead of Trump’s remarks, United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain argued that Trump’s reelection would instead lead to more automotive factory closures “all over the United States.” 

Detroit disparaged

Throughout this speech, Trump criticized Detroit, which he called a “once-great city.”

Ridiculing China’s contested “developing nation” status, Trump said “we’re a developing nation too, just take a look at Detroit. Detroit’s a developing area more than most places in China.”

Those comments weren’t far removed from Trump’s remarks in 2016, when he called Detroit “the living, breathing example of my opponent’s failed economic agenda.” But the city’s trajectory has improved considerably in recent years.

Detroit’s population, home values and employment are rising once again, reversing decades-long declines after the city filed for bankruptcy in 2013.

Economists at the University of Michigan also forecast wages for jobs in Detroit will increase faster than the rest of the state between 2024 and 2029.

Democrats made hay with Trump’s remarks, defending the city from insults.

“Detroit is growing by the minute as people fall in love with this special place,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “So keep Detroit out of your mouth. And you better believe that Detroiters won’t forget this in November.”

Mayor Mike Duggan defended the city too, saying on social media that Detroit had made gains – “and we did it all without Trump’s help.”

The region has also experienced economic success over the recent past. Wages and compensation have increased by about 5.4% in southeast Michigan over the past year, outpacing 3.9% growth in the rest of the country, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — marking more than a year in which wage growth has outpaced inflation, a key election issue.

‘Man of the year’

Trump also repeated several staples of his Michigan campaign stops, including his false claim that the Oakland County Republican Party named him “man of the year” at a 2013 dinner. 

Former Republican Congressman David Trott, who handed Trump a framed copy of the Gettysburg Address at the event, has said there was no “man of the year” award. Trump claimed vindication on Thursday by citing a 2023 news article about the county GOP giving him a “man of the decade” award instead. 

Trump also shared fuzzy math on jobs, claiming the U.S. had “the best job numbers in history during my administration” without noting crushing jobs losses during the COVID-19 pandemic or subsequent gains under President Joe Biden. 

The former president also did not mention how the federal government would pay for his various policy proposals, which analysts have said would add $7.5 trillion to the national deficit over a decade, more than twice as much as Harris’ plan.

Asked by businessman John Rakolta about how to advance peace in the Middle East, Trump didn’t directly respond and instead touted the Abraham Accords signed during his administration.

He accurately noted that the U.S. has lost nearly 50,000 manufacturing jobs this year, according to preliminary data, but he placed the numbers out of context, ignoring that manufacturing sector jobs in the U.S. are still up nearly 200,000 since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michigan has about 604,800 manufacturing jobs. Those numbers have climbed under Biden but remain about 11,600 short of the pre-pandemic peak.