Trump adjusts his campaign discourse to significant state Michigan, returning to the political scene following a supposed assassination attempt.
In his initial rally since the supposed attempt on his life last Sunday, Trump connected his financial policies to the occurrences at his West Palm Beach golf course and the shooting incident at his Pennsylvania rally in July.
"So, that's why they shoot at me, isn't it?" Trump spoke in Flint. "Only significant leaders get targeted."
He vowed to instill a 200% tax on vehicles imported from Mexico, effectively making them unmarketable.
He also delivered a sharp critique of United Auto Workers union president, Shawn Fain, who Trump deems overly supportive of President Joe Biden's electric vehicle transition effort. According to Trump, these vehicles will primarily be manufactured in China and Mexico, even though negotiations last year guaranteed they would be built in the United States.
"We're going to bring numerous automotive plants into our nation," Trump asserted. "You'll be as big or even larger than you were 50 years ago, as they won't be able – if they refuse to construct a plant, we don't need their product."
Trump also promised to impose "reciprocal" taxes identical to those other nations impose on U.S. imports – and touted tariffs as a "wonderful" word.
The rally was strategically targeted towards a state which voted for Trump in 2016 and harbors a substantial demographic of traditional Democrats before Trump emerged on the political scene. Although the apparent assassination attempt on Sunday was repeatedly mentioned in his remarks, Trump attempted to focus the town hall-style event primarily on the automotive industry and tariffs.
Kamala Harris' campaign alleges that Trump's proposed tariffs would result in a nationwide sales tax driving inflation. Tariffs are levied by the companies that import foreign goods – and Harris' campaign highlights the likelihood that these additional costs will be passed on to consumers.
The former president, on the other hand, posited that if Harris wins on November 5, there would be "no auto jobs, manufacturing positions – they'll all vacate."
"You'll no longer produce vehicles here. You won't manufacture anything in our country anymore," Trump stated. "We're going to bring it all back."
In Flint, Trump's emphasis on tariffs was prominent, and he touched on a variety of other topics – including nuclear war threats, appreciation for Elon Musk, criticisms of the coronavirus pandemic name, reiterations of voter fraud accusations in the 2020 election, among others.
He also delved into details about the apparent assassination attempt, its aftermath, and his interactions with Harris and Biden, including calls with both politicians.
The scene in Flint
Trump emerged from a curtain in the hockey arena that hosted the event and walked down a long walkway lined with metal barricades and protected by security agents. The crowd leaned over to greet him and shake his hand.
"They consider racing cars dangerous. No, bull-riding is actually safer, right? Nothing beats bull-riding in terms of danger, I tell you," Trump said to Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, his former White House press secretary who organized the event.
He narrated his conversations with Biden on Monday and Harris on Tuesday, commenting on their politeness.
Trump stated that he wished not to engage in these conversations, as he praised his political adversaries.
"I guess in a way, I sort of wish the call wasn't made, as I feel he was exceptionally nice to me," he commented, adding, "The same with Kamala today. She couldn't have been kinder."
Trump declared the call with Harris "exceptionally kind" and appreciated it, but emphasized his intention to reclaim the country.
"We have to take back our country. We have to win. We're going to win, and we're going to rebuild America."
Harris had discussed their phone call earlier in the day in Philadelphia.
"I confirmed whether he was alright. I conveyed publicly that there should be no space for political violence in our country," Harris stated at a moderated discussion with the National Association of Black Journalists.
"I am participating in this election, engaging in this race, for numerous reasons, including to safeguard a democracy. And in a democracy, there must be no room for political violence. We can and should engage in healthy debates and discussions, as well as disagreements, but not resort to violence to resolve these issues," she added.
Honors for Secret Service
Trump commended the Secret Service for their "excellent job" in stopping the assumed assassination attempt.
He expressed gratitude for the agents responsible for recognizing and apprehending the would-be assassin.
"They need more personnel, and they've been complaining about it for a long time. But he executed his job beautifully," he stated.
His comments were made amidst recent criticism of the Secret Service, particularly over their failure to obstruct a shooter at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security subcommittee responsible for investigating this shooting, expressed "near outrage" over the Department of Homeland Security's lack of cooperation. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri suggested that the DHS and Secret Service are resisting in supplying "almost any documentation."
"Why not? I mean, what's stopping them from granting transparency?" Hawley inquired.
"He pointed out the issue, labeling it as unsavory. Imagine that, who would indulge in such acts? Consider it, if you examined a thousand instances of this, could you possibly find a single individual responsible?"
Credit goes to CNN's Alejandra Jaramillo, Ebony Davis, Morgan Rimmer and Danya Gainor for their contributions to this report.
In the context of his criticisms towards President Joe Biden's electric vehicle transition effort, Trump accused United Auto Workers union president, Shawn Fain, of being overly supportive, stating that these vehicles will primarily be manufactured in China and Mexico.
Furthermore, following the shooting incident at his Pennsylvania rally in July, Trump discussed the alleged assassination attempt on him, expressing gratitude towards the Secret Service for their role in stopping it.
