At a rally in Michigan on Tuesday marking his first 100 days in office, President Donald Trump highlighted economic achievements and sharply criticized Democrats, including former President Joe Biden.
The rally in the politically competitive state, the hub of the U.S. auto industry, was the largest event hosted by the Republican since his January 20 inauguration.
Americans have cooled on aspects of Trump’s performance in recent weeks. In particular, people are fretting about Trump’s economic stewardship amid stubborn inflation and his administration’s aggressive moves to slap tariffs on almost every country in the world.
‘Doing Better Now’
“We had the greatest economy in the history of our country,” Trump said of his first presidency, from 2017-2021. “We did great, and we’re doing better now.”
Trump renewed his criticisms of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, telling the crowd in Warren, which is home to the General Motors Technical Center and located about a dozen miles from downtown Detroit, that the central bank head was not doing a good job.
The event was similar to the rallies Trump has held throughout his political career, on and off the campaign trail. The president slammed “radical left lunatics,” briefly verbally sparred with a heckler, and polled the crowd for their favorite Biden nicknames, despite it being more than three months since the Democrat left office.
Trump Supports $1 Trillion Defense Investment
Speaking briefly at a National Guard base before the rally, Trump touted his administration’s investments in defense and praised the foreign policy record of his first administration.
“I’ll be supporting a record-setting $1 trillion investment in our national defense,” said Trump, speaking before dozens of troops, as well as his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Trump told the crowd at the military base in Selfridge that the base would receive 21 Boeing F-15X jets. Whitmer said in a statement that the move secured the base’s mission and was a “huge, bipartisan win for Michigan” that will protect jobs.
Economic Concerns
On Air Force One earlier on Tuesday, Trump signed an order to soften the blow of his auto tariffs with a mix of credits and relief from other levies. Separately, his commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, told CNBC that a trade deal had been reached with a foreign power, which he declined to name, that should permanently ease the “reciprocal” tariffs Trump plans to impose.
At the Warren rally, Trump cast his tariffs as an economic lifeline for Michigan.
“With my China tariffs, we’re ending the greatest job theft in the history of the world,” Trump said to cheers. “China has taken more jobs from us than any country has ever taken from another country.”
Polls show Americans are not convinced of Trump’s economic vision.
In a three-day Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Sunday, 42% of respondents approved of Trump’s performance so far, while 53% disapproved. That is down from 47% approval in the Reuters/Ipsos poll in January.
Just 36% of respondents approved of Trump’s economic stewardship, the lowest level in his current term or in his prior term.
Fears of a recession have surged in recent weeks as Trump has launched a global trade war, hiking tariffs to a level that economists warn that trade with some countries – notably China – could grind nearly to a halt. The moves have shaken both investors and companies.
Still, the audience in Michigan was largely unconcerned.
‘It’s Got To Change’
Paul Ruggeri, a 65-year-old retired steelworker, said he was fine with experiencing some short-term economic pain in order to support Trump’s policies.
“I don’t want the economy to tank, but we can’t continue down the road we’re going,” Ruggeri said.
“We’ve got to make changes. It’s going to be painful for a little while. We’re going to see some price increases probably. But it’s got to change.”
Democrats planned to rail against Trump’s presidency on the Senate floor on Tuesday under the counter-programming banner, “100 days of chaos,” with multiple speeches expected to stretch well into the night. At an afternoon news conference, some described Senate Republicans as “co-conspirators” who secretly oppose Trump’s agenda but refuse to voice full-throated criticism.
“Senate Republicans aren’t just silent. They are complicit,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
Outside the community college where Trump’s rally was held, protesters lined a busy street, carrying upside down American flags and waving signs that read: “I dissent.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
