DETROIT (WXYZ) — Former President Donald Trump was back in Michigan on Thursday to speak at a Detroit Economic Club event at MotorCity Casino and Hotel and took heat for comments he made about Detroit while in the city.
“Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president,” Trump said at the event.
Watch the clip in the video below:
After his speech, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement saying, “Detroit is the epitome of ‘grit,’ defined by winners willing to get their hands dirty to build up their city and better their communities—something Donald Trump could never understand."
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan also fired back, writing on Instagram:
"Detroit just hosted the largest NFL Draft in history, the Tigers are back in the playoffs, the Lions are headed to the Super Bowl, crime is down and our population is growing. Lots of cities should be like Detroit. And we did it all without Trump’s help."
He also posted a video response.
The event kicked off shortly after 1 p.m. and attendees included DEC members and guests of DEC members.
"It's really wonderful to be back in Detroit. Ot's a true honor to be back at the Detroit Economic Club... I was last here in 2016, so maybe we can do it again," Trump said at the start of his speech.
VIDEO: You can watch his full speech below:
The no. 1 issue for many voters this election is the economy — and that’s the majority of what Trump spoke about during his stop.
"Four years ago when I left office, we had virtually no inflation, so when people made money, that was really their money," Trump said.
"The fact is that the Federal Reserve brought interest rates down a little too quickly. Everyone knows it was a political move, but they did the wrong thing."
He spoke primarily about the economy and Michigan’s auto industry, saying that saving Michigan’s auto industry will be a part of his legacy and that he is the only reason auto manufacturing in Michigan is still alive.
"I just want to say Michigan, you’re welcome," he said.
He also spoke at length about his plans to impose tariffs on all imports, promises met with mixed reaction by those in attendance.
"He does what he says he’s going to do. The last time he was elected, he did everything he said he was going to do about deregulation, about lower taxes, stronger military. He’s very impressive, very sincere," said Terry Rakolta, who attended the rally.
"To me, it’s against what I’m teaching my students in economic trade. The idea that we are going to impose tariffs and that’s going to solve our problems, is very simplistic ... tariff is going to solve the problem, no it won’t happen," said Bahman Mirshab, a Detroit Economic Club member.
Trump's running mate, JD Vance, spoke at Eastern Market just this past Tuesday.
Related Video: JD Vance campaigns at Eastern Market in Detroit
Trump held a campaign rally in Saginaw last week at Saginaw Valley State University's Ryder Center for Health and Physical Education.
Vice President Kamala Harris has also made several trips to Michigan recently. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, will be in Michigan on Friday.
Walz will speak at an event in Macomb County, the Harris-Walz campaign said in a release on Wednesday.
Both campaigns have ramped up visits to Michigan, a battleground state, as the presidential election nears.
