SOCIAL MEDIA:
MILFORD, MI ~ Donald Trump became the first United States president to visit the General Motors Proving Ground Monday, where new vehicles and auto technology are tested, to boast the success of his economic policies to auto workers before the midterm election.
The 45th and 47th president was introduced by CEO of GM Mary Barra after watching some luxury cars drag race before his speech. Along with boasting about creating new jobs, he also emphasized the importance of Selfridge Air National Guard Base and national security’s goal of keeping a nuclear weapon out of the hands of Iran.
“Last year our trade deficit with China by the largest amount in history,” Trump said during his hour-long speech. “We got our deficit down by 71%.”
A number of political candidates joined the stage as the August primary is next Tuesday. Republican candidates for governor and U.S. Senate John James and Mike Rogers were among the few invited to speak before and during Trump’s remarks. Brian Pannebecker, one of Trump’s biggest retired auto-worker fans, also got the call up and shared his support for the president.
Trump has an uphill battle to sway voters’ opinions on the GOP’s handling of the economy this midterm, with a Washington Post-Ipsos poll finding that 65% of voters disapprove of his handling of the economy, with just 33% approving. His visit also came in the wake of a fresh round of tariffs on Canada, which caused the cancellation of a joint U.S.-Canadian celebration of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor.
