DETROIT/OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – With 17 days remaining until the conclusion of voting in the closely contested 2024 presidential election, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris both campaigned in Michigan, focusing on the future of American manufacturing while criticizing each other’s suitability for office.
The two candidates, who have been actively campaigning across swing states for several weeks, held events in the suburbs north of Detroit for the first time concurrently. Michigan, a crucial swing state for both candidates’ electoral strategies, begins early voting on Saturday.
During a rally by the river in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Vice President Harris criticized Trump, accusing him of making large promises without delivering. Grand Rapids is the county seat of Kent County, historically a Republican area but won by Democrats in the last election cycle. Harris questioned Trump’s claims of being the only person able to restore America’s manufacturing jobs, pointing out that nearly 200,000 manufacturing jobs were lost during his presidency, including thousands in Michigan.
Meanwhile, Trump participated in an economic roundtable in Oakland County, where he engaged with small-business owners and law enforcement officers discussing community challenges. Concluding the event, Trump expressed a commitment to revitalizing industries, complimenting a participant wearing a Teamsters shirt.
Oakland County, once a Republican bastion, has shifted towards Democrats since 1996. Harris’ campaign aims to gain ground there by appealing to college-educated voters and women unhappy with Trump.
Later, in Detroit, Trump’s rally faced technical setbacks when his microphone failed, causing a 20-minute delay. Once resolved, Trump asserted his administration would restore the nation’s economic prosperity. His recent comments about the city, comparing it unfavorably under Harris’s potential presidency, had sparked regional backlash.
Amid their focus on manufacturing, both candidates also addressed each other’s perceived competencies. Harris criticized Trump for evading debates and interviews, raising doubts about his fitness for the presidency. Trump responded by vigorously defending his campaign schedule and criticizing Harris’s intelligence.
In Lansing, Harris met with union workers, highlighting auto plant closures during Trump’s tenure and crediting a Biden administration grant for saving approximately 650 jobs in Lansing. She criticized Trump’s running mate JD Vance for dismissing the grant as “table scraps” and played clips of Trump’s negative remarks about the United Auto Workers.
Harris emphasized the importance of communicating Trump’s record to union members, stating that he does not prioritize their interests. She concluded by urging union workers to recognize the purported disregard Trump holds for their contributions.
