Trump promises Michigan crowd that he will revive auto industry, stem immigration
Former President Donald Trump touted his plans to boost the auto industry and curb immigration during a rally in Traverse City, Michigan at 10:30 p.m. Friday night after a three-hour delay.
Several guests had left the rally by the time Trump arrived, walking out to a funereal instrumental song – the Undertaker theme song, "Rest in Peace," from a Legends of WWE compilation.
He was scheduled to speak at 7:30 p.m. at an airport in Michigan's northwest Lower Peninsula. But his plane from Austin, Texas, where he had another campaign stop and spoke with the podcaster Joe Rogan, didn't depart until that time.
At about 8:30 p.m., a video played from Trump on board his aircraft in which he apologized for the delay and said he expected to arrive in Traverse City about 10 p.m. and hoped people would stick around. "We'll do an extra special job when we get there," he said.
Trump pledges to revive the auto industry
Trump claimed to have "killed the biggest car plant anywhere in the world in Mexico owned by China."
He pledged to "bring the car industry back to Michigan," the state's economic powerhouse, by strengthening tariffs that would effectively block imports of foreign cars.
"We're going to put the biggest tariffs there won't be one damn car that's going to be able to come through our border," he said.
Trump urges early voting, alleges fraud
He repeatedly called Kamala Harris "a moron" and said she's preemptively celebrating a win.
He also suggested without evidence that Democrats were preparing to rig the election and urged voters to cast their ballots early.
"They cheat like hell. Maybe they know something that we don't. Why the hell would she be celebrating?" he said. "You have to vote anyway because you can't trust them. Too big to rig."
The polls are open early in Michigan, he noted. "We're setting all time records in the votes."
Trump defends Detroit comments
During a recent visit to Detroit, Trump warned that the whole country would "end up being like Detroit" if Vice Harris is elected president. It drew backlash from locals.
Trump defended those remarks during his Friday night remarks.
"You need businesses to come back into this place, otherwise forget it," he said. "Don't be hurt. You'll be happy when we have auto plants moving in all over the place."
Trump pledges to protect gas cars
He praised Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has been pouring money into Trump's reelection effort, saying he "is the greatest guy."
But he said he would "end the mandate for electric cars on day one."
"There's a great market for them but they can't all be electric."
There is no law forcing a shift to electric vehicles, but the Biden administration has approved a policy that would push automakers to speed up a transition to EVs.
Trump blames Harris for Venezuelan gangs
He blamed Harris for the rise of "savage Venezuelan prison gangs" in the country, which he said are now "unleashing a violent killing spree all over America."
"The United States is now an occupied country," he said. "They're also taking Hispanic jobs and Black jobs . . . On Nov. 5, 2024, we're going to have a liberation day."
Trump says Harris in 'free fall' with Muslims
Michigan has the one of the largest Arab and Muslim populations in the United States. Divisions over the administration's approach to the Israel-Hamas War have raised questions about some of those voters might slip away from Harris.
Trump seized on that during his rally, saying she is in "free fall" with the state's Arabs and Muslims.
"They've had it with her. Nobody's in charge. Joe Biden is asleep. Kamala is at a dance party with Beyonce," he said referencing the vice president's rally in Texas Friday.
Arpan Lobo and Todd Spangler contributed.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump promises Michigan crowd that he will revive auto industry