The auto industry, trade, and an apparent assassination attempt over the weekend were some of the major discussion points during former President Donald Trump's campaign event in Flint Tuesday night.
The town hall-style event was one of the Republican presidential nominee’s first public appearances since an alleged would-be gunman was caught outside of Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump brought up a proposed tariff increase on auto imports from Mexico while joking about the incident.
“I’m telling you right now, I’m putting a 200% tariff on them, which means they’re unsellable, unsellable in the United States. And then you wonder why I get shot at, right? You know, only consequential presidents get shot at,” Trump said.
During his talk, Trump also promised to increase tariffs on imports from China. He brought up India and Brazil as well while discussing his views on U.S. trade deficits.
Democrats say Trump’s policies cost American manufacturing jobs while he was in office, and would drive up prices if he’s elected to a second term.
“Under Donald Trump’s watch, Michigan lost 280,000 jobs as he handed out tax giveaways to billionaires and corporations,” a statement from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, said. “A second Trump term would be even worse.”
Early in the evening, Trump launched familiar attacks against policies in support of a transition to electric vehicles.
“You’re going to have electric cars. But you’re going to have 7%, you’re going to have 9%, whatever it may be. And maybe, someday, the technology becomes so good that you can do more. You know, it’s fine. But, right now, the battery technology isn’t there for long term. I would say, I love the electric car but it doesn’t go far enough,” Trump said.
He seemed less willing to forcefully disparage electric cars than in past speeches. Trump brought up his relationship to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose company is the largest EV manufacturer in the world, and who has endorsed Trump for president.
Most of the questions at the discussion came from his former White House press secretary and current Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
The first audience question, however, came from a UAW worker at Ford who asked about Trump’s views of the major threats against Michigan’s auto manufacturing industry.
Trump responded with a warning about the threat posed by nuclear proliferation, arguing global instability could hurt automakers.
Elsewhere, Trump returned to other familiar campaign topics like the southern U.S. border and crime.
Trump again, proposed an approach that human rights groups have said would violate international law.
“Look, unless you have the death penalty for drug dealers, you’ll never get rid of the drug problem. Get that through your head. Alright? Put that through your head,” Trump said.
Some audience members at the Dort Financial Center, where the event was being held, wore shirts bearing phrases like, “I’m voting for the felon” in an apparent reference to Trump’s New York convictions for financial crimes.
Trump did not mention his legal troubles during the town hall, though he has denied wrongdoing in the past.
Trump’s pick for vice president, Ohio Senator JD Vance, also stopped in Michigan Tuesday. He held a rally near Sparta in Kent County.
