Trump touts tariff gains in Michigan as voters fret over prices

Donald Trump used a Michigan rally at a General Motors event to hail tariffs and economic gains before the primary. But high prices, job losses and voter unease exposed a gap between his claims and local realities.Image used for representational purposes onlyAt a General Motors event in Michigan this week, US President Donald Trump said his tariffs had boosted carmakers and the state’s economy, telling supporters that car companies were ‘doing better than they’ve ever done’ and that ‘Michigan is thriving’.But several economic indicators pointed to a more mixed picture ahead of Michigan’s primary on Tuesday and the November midterm elections. In the battleground state, which Trump won in 2016 and again in 2024 after Joe Biden carried it in 2020, businesses have faced tariff costs, inflation has remained high, and many Americans believe tariffs and the war in Iran have pushed up prices, especially fuel, weakening confidence in the economy and keeping Trump’s approval ratings low.Flying to the rally in Milford, northwest of Detroit, Trump said the gains were ‘all because of Trump’. While touring a line-up of new vehicles, he said, ‘it’s amazing what tariffs will do for General Motors’ before autographing a white Corvette marking America’s 250th anniversary.The crowd at the rally was warm, but even some supporters said prices were too high and tariffs had caused short-term pain. Lisa Scherer, 64, who previously ran a landscaping company and worked as a bus driver and union steward, said high gas prices were ‘hurting a lot’ and that it was ‘very rough’ to afford things. ‘But I’m just hoping, if we hang in there,’ she said, adding that she still believed the president was doing a good job. Michigan’s economy is closely tied to Canada through deeply integrated supply chains built over decades of lower trade barriers. Although the Supreme Court struck down many of the tariffs Trump imposed after returning to the White House, his administration has launched new import taxes and recently invoked the Tariff Act of 1930 to accuse Canada of discriminatory practices and plans to impose 50 per cent tariffs on many imports from the country. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement had been part of Trump’s first term, but he chose not to renew it, leading to years of negotiations.GM said it was ‘honoured to spend time showcasing our vehicles and facilities’ for Trump. But carmakers have long argued that tariffs raise production costs. Trump later offered automakers relief from his auto parts tariffs, and in October extended what had been meant to be a short-term rebate until 2030. Veteran Michigan pollster Bernie Porn said Trump’s upbeat claims did not match what many voters were experiencing on inflation and affordability. ‘When I was listening to him, I said, What planet are you on?’ Porn said. He added that some Republicans nationally were worried their voters might not be motivated in November and said, ‘I doubt if Michigan is going to be very different.’ ‘He is like an anchor around Republicans,’ Porn said.Not all Trump supporters agreed. Joe Miskovich, 57, who owns an aerospace business in Fenton, said people needed to look at ‘the bigger picture’. ‘Yes, granted, there might be a little higher increase in price. But the long-term effect is going to be absolutely positive to the nation,’ he said.Trump has also been trying to shape next week’s primaries through his endorsements, as he has in other key midterm races. In Michigan’s Republican gubernatorial primary, he has backed congressman John James over Perry Johnson. Former representative Mike Rogers, who is running for the Senate again after narrowly losing to Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin two years ago, also spoke at the rally. National attention has been focused more on the Democratic Senate primary, which will decide whether Rogers faces Representative Haley Stevens or progressive favourite Abdul El-Sayed. Rogers said Michigan needed a senator who would advance Trump’s agenda, not try to block it. ‘This is the time that we will stand up and get Michigan up off of her knees,’ he said.Scherer, who drove nearly five hours from the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, to attend the rally, said she worried that some supporters on fixed incomes had been left behind. Living on Social Security benefits of USD 1,100 a month, she said: ‘I’m brutally honest, like Trump is, aren’t I? He’s forgot about the people on a fixed income.’ Even so, she added, ‘But I look at it like, I guess, no pain, no gain.’Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall praised the tariffs at the rally and also pointed to Trump’s announcement last year of a new fighter jet mission that secured the future of the Selfridge Air National Guard Base. ‘This is what putting Michigan first looks like,’ he said. Some carmakers have said they plan to expand production in the US, but those gains have yet to be widely felt. GM said in June 2025 that it would invest USD 4 billion to move some vehicle production from Mexico to the US starting next year. Ford and Stellantis have set out a similar timetable for expanding domestic operations. Toyota also said it would invest USD 3.6 billion and move production of its Tacoma pickup from Mexico to Texas over about four years.For now, job growth has been limited. Michigan has seen only modest increases in auto sector jobs during Trump’s second term, while jobs linked to auto parts manufacturing fell by about 4,000 statewide through June compared with the same month last year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state has lost 8,300 manufacturing jobs since Trump announced his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs in April last year.The rally atmosphere remained upbeat. When Trump spoke about meeting a ‘beautiful’ waitress in Las Vegas during the 2024 campaign, a man in the audience shouted, ‘You’re beautiful!’ Later, the crowd chanted ‘10 more years!’ when Trump spoke about leaving office after January 2029. Rose Stroud, 75, from Commerce, Michigan, said, ‘Trump is, like, No. 1. You know, he’s the best. He thinks about the people, about what they need.’ Roy Parks, 49, a self-employed handyman, photographer and videographer from Milford, said, ‘There’s always a method to the madness, and people sometimes don’t understand or get it.’ On tariffs, he added: ‘You may not like it at first, but it’s a short-term pinch, short-term pain, but long-term good. It works out in the end. It’s for the best.’ He also said, ‘When you rip off the Band-Aid right away, it stings. But, after a few minutes, there’s no pain. You have to go through a little bit of pain at first to get to long-term good.’The Milford event underlined both Trump’s strong support among his backers and the unease many voters still feel over prices, tariffs and affordability, as Michigan heads into its primary and the wider midterm campaign.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 30, 2026 16:53 IST