Trump headed to Detroit, Michigan for a speech in the midst of an ongoing United Auto Workers strike against General Motors, Stellantis, and the Ford Motor Company. The former President laid out his case for “patriotic protectionism” – promising a relentless push to reshore jobs from China and combat foreign manipulation. His campaign continues to bet big on his appeal to working class voters – and it’s right to.
Most Republicans focus their campaigns on fighting over who is more to the political right on the culture wars. Trump, intuitively, has pivoted towards the general election, and back towards his 2016 winning messages. The Michigan speech was dominated by talk of the illegal immigration crisis at the southern border, jobs and the economy, the need for tariffs, and restoring dignity for the American worker.
“I want a future that protects American labor, not foreign labor; a future that puts American dreams over foreign profits, and a future that raises American wages, that strengthens American industry, that builds national pride and defends this country’s dignity,” he told the cheering crowd in Detroit, where the United Automobile Workers (UAW) is striking for pay rises in line with those their employers’ chief executives have been awarded.
"I want a future that protects American labor, not foreign labor. A future that puts American dreams over foreign profits. And a future that raises American wages, that strengthens American industry, that builds national pride, and that defends this country's dignity." pic.twitter.com/IHNojSpeQJ
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 28, 2023
And it’s working.
Recent polling has shown President Biden’s support among union voters plummeting. In June Biden led Trump 51 to 42 percent. In August, Trump had taken the lead with 46 percent to Biden’s 43 percent. At the heart of Trump’s momentum among union voters in Michigan has been his criticism of Biden’s electric vehicle (EV) subsidies. Despite Biden billing the EV subsidies in his Inflation Reduction Act as supporting “Made in America”, subsequently rulings by the U.S. Treasury Department have created loopholes resulting in foreign companies receiving the subsidies and, to the unions’ chagrin, jobs meant for Americans.
An extensive survey by YouGov found, “GOP voters have abandoned the traditional Republican Party focus on tax cuts, deregulation, and free trade.” The American Compass’s survey indicates 77 percent of the Republican electorate now back tariffs to protect and boost American manufacturing, while 57 percent said they believe, “Wall Street investors are getting rich doing things that weaken our economy.”
This shift is indicative of former Trump’s transformation of the Party, breaking the hold of corporate and billionaire donor interest. But not every D.C. Republican has caught up with him.
The few Republican lawmakers who retain close ties to the likes of Charles Koch and his political network continue espousing unpopular positions from the pre-Trump era. They want to go back.
A recent Biden campaign ad highlighted anti-union comments made by two such Republicans: former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). The party, without Trump’s leadership, is listless on this issue and repugnant to so many working class voters as a result.
Globalist groups like the Club for Growth – which maintains close ties to Ron DeSantis – continue to meddle in Republican elections in an effort to stop America First candidates. The group, which opposed Trump-backed Senator J.D. Vance’s successful election in Ohio, receives extensive funding from billionaire Jeff Yass whose fortune was primarily made off of investments in the social media app TikTok – a suspected Chinese espionage tool.
Make no mistake, Trump’s Michigan speech yesterday was historic. Everyone should watch it.
