President Donald Trump says Michigan is ‘thriving’ and auto industry is ‘back’

President Donald Trump and Republican candidates gathered at the General Motors Proving Ground in Milford. Trump touted the economy, which he said had entered a “golden age.” The event took place ahead of a crucial midterm election where the economy and Trump’s record will be central issues.

MILFORD — “Michigan is booming” and “America is winning like never before,” President Donald Trump said Monday during a campaign-style rally at the General Motors Proving Ground in metro Detroit.

The president downplayed lingering affordability concerns in his upbeat speech, delivered eight days before Michigan’s Aug. 4 primary election, and with mail-in and in-person voting already underway.

The state of the economy and Trump’s record are expected to be key issues in the midterm elections.

“Ladies and gentlemen of Michigan, America’s golden age is upon us,” Trump said.

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Trump flew from Joint Base Andrews, near Washington, D.C., to the Oakland County Airport. He was joined on the flight by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, as well as U.S. Reps. Lisa McClain and Tim Walberg of Michigan and other guests, according to pool reports.

At GM, Trump was greeted by CEO Mary Barra and company President Mark Reuss. He watched about seven minutes of drag racing at the facilities where GM tests vehicles and raised his fist at the end of the race.

“It’s amazing what tariffs will do to General Motors and what the election has done,” Trump said during a tour with company executives, touting his controversial import taxes. “They are doing very well.”

President Donald Trump invites a group of guests to the stage, including gubernatorial candidate John James and U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, as he delivers a speech on the economy and the auto industry at the General Motors Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan, Monday, July 27, 2026. (Ella Miller/Bridge Michigan)

One thing Trump didn’t mention during his speech: the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which opened to traffic Monday after the president began weeks of on-and-off negotiations with Canada, delaying the bridge’s dedication.

Although Monday’s visit to Michigan was hosted by the White House, it functioned as a campaign rally and featured speeches from several Republican candidates, including U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers and U.S. Rep. John James, whom Trump has endorsed to become the state’s next governor.

“Michigan now has a choice in this election: freedom or socialism, absurdity or madness, what works or what doesn’t,” James said. “Here’s the bottom line: Those taking control of the Democratic Party today hate their own president and don’t love America.”

We checked their facts.

The automotive industry is back

The claim: “I’m proud to say that the auto industry is back, and America is back, and it’s taking Detroit and Michigan with it,” Trump said.

The Facts: Before Trump’s speech, the administration highlighted planned investments in the industry, including GM’s June 2025 announcement that it would invest $4 billion to build more vehicles in the United States. This was intended, in part, to avoid what the company hoped would be a “$4 billion to $5 billion” impact from global tariffs put in place by Trump.

The actual employment numbers, however, tell a different story. Michigan lost about 4,000 auto parts manufacturing jobs for the year ending in June, a 3.5% decline from the same month in 2025, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These losses were only partially offset by the addition of about 500 vehicle manufacturing jobs.

Prices and inflation

The claim: “We brought prices down,” Trump said. “Last week it was announced that inflation had fallen faster than at any time in the last six years.”

The Facts: The inflation claim is true, but it only reflects one month of change, according to Federal Reserve statistics. The nearly half-point drop in June brought the annual inflation rate down to 3.5%, but followed what had been a three-year high in May.

Most prices have not fallen, as the president claims. Federal data shows that average property prices in the Detroit area rose about 4% year over year in June. In the broader Midwest region, food increased 3%, housing increased 3.3% and fuel increased 4.6%.

President Donald Trump delivers a speech on the economy and the auto industry at the General Motors Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan, Monday, July 27, 2026. (Ella Miller/Bridge Michigan) Trade deficit

The claim: In touting the impact of his global tariffs, Trump claimed that the global trade deficit had been reduced by 71% under his presidency.

The Facts: This claim uses selective measurements and does not reflect current trading levels.

There are many ways to gauge the trade deficit, whether monthly totals or annual averages, but a single, selective view represents a year-over-year decline as large as the one touted by Trump.

Between March and October 2025, as tariffs disrupted international trade, the deficit fell by 71%, as Trump claimed. But these were historical highs and lows that have stabilized. Trade data for May, the most recent available, show the deficit increased by almost 14% compared to the same month in 2025.

Between the final year of Biden’s presidency and the first year of Trump’s second term, the trade deficit with China, in particular, declined by about 47%, but this was accompanied by a nearly one-third drop in U.S. exports to China.

Job protections

The claim: “According to a report released last week, the big, beautiful bill saved more than 170,000 jobs in Michigan,” Trump said Monday.

The facts: Trump says the tax cut extensions he signed in July 2025 saved jobs that otherwise might have been lost. It is impossible to verify this claim, as it is hypothetical.

That assertion is consistent with recent projections from the National Association of Manufacturers, which lobbied for passage of the Big Beautiful Bill and estimates it has “protected” 170,000 Michigan jobs, along with $15 billion in related wages.

But a year after Trump signed the law, Michigan’s manufacturing jobs have largely stagnated. Overall, the state lost about 7,000 manufacturing jobs for the year ending in June, a decline of 1.2%, according to federal data.

Attendees watch President Donald Trump deliver a speech on the economy and the auto industry at the General Motors Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan, Monday, July 27, 2026. (Ella Miller/Bridge Michigan) Border Crossings

The claim: Trump claimed, “Not one person has crossed our border illegally” for 15 consecutive months – which would extend through April 2025.

The Facts: Illegal border crossings have fallen under Trump, but they have not completely stopped. U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows nearly 103,000 land encounters on the southwest border in fiscal year 2026 alone. In 2025, there were nearly 444,000 encounters with federal border agents along the U.S.-Mexico border.

This is a substantial decline from Biden’s presidency. In 2024, the agency reported more than 2.1 million encounters.

Ford investment

The claim: In touting a resurgence in manufacturing, Trump cited planned investments by several companies but failed to provide relevant context.

Among them: “Ford is investing $3 billion to build parts of its new pickup truck in central Michigan,” the president said.

The Facts: Trump was referring to Ford’s investment in the BlueOval Battery Park, which was announced before he returned to office. The company rolled out plans for the facility in February 2023 as part of a deal to take advantage of tax credits under then-President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The company has scaled back its plans somewhat in April 2024.

In June, Ford said 500 people were working at the plant, and it planned to add 800 by the end of the year.

GM’s big year

The claim: GM had “the best year they’ve ever had,” Trump said after visiting the GM Proving Ground with Barra and Reuss. “I won’t go into detail, but there’s a reason. We’ve been very good to General Motors. The rest of the world doesn’t like me, but that’s OK. It’s called America First.”

It’s not immediately clear what Trump was referring to, but GM did not have its best year in terms of sales or profits in 2025.

The company reported revenue of about $2.7 billion last year, well below the $10 billion it reported in 2023. Profits were reduced by retooling costs as the company moved away from previous investments in electric vehicles.

As for sales, GM sold 2.8 million vehicles in the United States last year. That’s the highest among all automakers and a 6% increase from 2024, but short of the 3 million vehicles the company regularly sold in the mid-2010s. Globally, GM’s 6.18 million vehicles sold were well below the 10 million sold in 2010.

The 2020 election

The statement: “Thank you, Mr. President, for coming back to Michigan, where you have won three times,” said James, the Republican candidate for governor.

The Facts: Biden officially won Michigan by 154,188 votes in 2020. A Republican-led investigation found no evidence of widespread fraud. Asked by PBS in 2022 whether Biden had been duly elected, James was emphatic: “Of course. Yes. That’s how the process works.” He recently claimed that the elections were rigged.

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