Detroit CNN —
Former President Donald Trump warned Thursday that if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected, the country will end up “like Detroit,” an urban center in a battleground state he hopes to win next month. It was the latest attack on the department.
“If (Harris) were president, our entire country would end up looking like Detroit,” Trump said in remarks at the Detroit Economic Club expressing his vision for the auto industry. Your hands will be messed up.”
He claimed that Harris had “destroyed” San Francisco, later adding, “We’re not going to let her do that to this country.” We are not going to allow that to happen. ”
During his speech, President Trump also compared the battleground state’s largest cities to developing countries and accused China of abusing its developing country status in international trade.
“We are a developing country too. Look at Detroit,” he said, calling the city “a much more developing region than most places in China.”
Although Detroit’s size and economic power remain significantly reduced compared to its early 20th century heyday, its recovery from bankruptcy proceedings in 2013 and the continued growth of the city’s downtown have helped many Detroiters and Michiganders It’s a matter of pride for the instructor. On the day President Trump spoke in the city, thousands of fans were flocking to Detroit to watch a baseball playoff game and the Detroit Red Wings’ season opener. The city’s population increased from July 2022 to July 2023 for the first time since 1957, the city government announced earlier this year.
Trump has a history of insulting urban areas across the country, including states he needs to win to return to the White House. Similar to his comments about San Francisco, he caused controversy earlier this year when he told House Republicans that Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s major city, was “terrible” when it came to crime and election concerns. “I love Milwaukee,” he later assured Wisconsin voters, choosing the city to host the Republican National Convention.
Harris alluded to earlier statements when she criticized President Trump’s comments late Thursday.
“My opponent, Donald Trump, destroyed yet another great American city while in Detroit. This is just further evidence on a very long list of reasons why he is unfit to be President of the United States. ” Harris said. He told reporters in Las Vegas.
In remarks at the Detroit Economic Club, President Trump said he wanted “a victory for the American auto industry” to be one of his “greatest legacies” and outlined how he plans to strengthen the auto industry. He promised to “revitalize” Detroit if he was elected. Impacts on the U.S. auto industry and manufacturing, including a proposal to make interest payments on auto loans fully tax deductible.
“I stand now in the heart of this once-great city and say to you: By the end of my term, the whole world will be talking about the miracle of Michigan and the amazing rebirth of Detroit. It’s bound to happen,’” he said.
“I’ve been reading about Detroit for years, and it’s becoming a reality,” Trump said. It was getting close, but it never really got there. ”
“If we make the auto industry bigger, better and stronger, we don’t have to worry about Detroit. It’s going to be so much better. We’ll be right back,” he said.
President Joe Biden defeated President Trump in 2020 by more than 30 points in Wayne County, which includes the city of Detroit. Mr. Trump has been pushing into blue areas this year, hoping to narrow the Democratic lead and peel away votes from Black, Arab-American and other constituencies.
After President Trump’s comments broke, city leaders and Democratic lawmakers in the state jumped to Detroit’s defense.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan defended the city’s comeback, noting that Detroit is the site of the NFL Draft and has seen a decline in violent crime and an increase in population in recent years.
“Many cities are going to be like Detroit, and we did it all without Trump’s help,” he said.
Michigan Democratic Party Chairwoman LaVora Burns said Trump is “constantly saying mean things about places that have a lot of hard-working black people.”
“But no matter what Donald thinks, we’re proud to be a city that bounces back no matter what is thrown at us. And we’re proud to be a place that shows this man the door.” ” she said, alluding to Michigan’s important role in the election as a battleground state.
A Trump campaign spokesperson in Michigan said the former president “remembers when Detroit was hailed as the gold standard of auto manufacturing success and revolutionized the industry.” He emphasized how he has suffered from the globalist policies championed by Kamala Harris, who has supported the United States. abroad. ”
“As President Trump emphasized in his speech, his policies will usher in a new era of economic success and stability for Detroit and maximize the city’s potential,” Victoria Lacivita, Trump’s Michigan communications director, said in a statement. It will help us demonstrate our abilities.”
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance also campaigned in Detroit on Tuesday.
CNN’s Alayna Treene contributed to this report.
