President Donald Trump touted his economic record, including his efforts to boost domestic manufacturing, as he visited a Ford pickup truck factory in Michigan on Tuesday. At the factory floor, Trump got a behind-the-scenes look at how F-150s were built, including gas and hybrid models.
Trump's visit to Michigan is part of an effort to counter concerns about the weakening job market and rising prices that have squeezed American pocketbooks. He made his case for his sweeping tariffs on Tuesday, saying they had helped boost domestic manufacturing and drive economic growth.
However, critics say Trump's tariffs have simply passed their costs onto U.S. consumers, exacerbating fears about inflation. According to economists, steep import taxes are not "overwhelmingly" paid by foreign nations and middlemen, but rather contribute to higher prices for American consumers.
At the factory floor, Trump chatted with assembly line workers as well as Ford's executive chairman Bill Ford, a descendant of Henry Ford. "All U.S. automakers are doing great," Trump said during his visit.
Despite defending his tariffs, Trump did not discuss the ongoing investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell by his own Department of Justice. Critics say this is an attempt to undermine the central bank's independence in setting interest rates.
Some economic news on Tuesday showed inflation declined slightly last month as prices for gas and used cars fell, a sign that cost pressures are slowly easing. But Trump said in a speech later that day that "we have quickly achieved the exact opposite of stagflation, almost no inflation and super-high growth."
Trump has been making speeches about his economic policies, including ones in Pennsylvania and North Carolina last month, where he claimed his tariffs had spurred the economy despite residents noting the sting of higher prices. He also used a casino as a backdrop to talk about the economy in Michigan, delivering a speech at the MotorCity Casino.
Democrats have seized on Trump's visit to Michigan, recalling his October 2024 visit when he said that Democrats' retaining the White House would mean "our whole country will end up being like Detroit."
Trump's visit to Michigan is part of an effort to counter concerns about the weakening job market and rising prices that have squeezed American pocketbooks. He made his case for his sweeping tariffs on Tuesday, saying they had helped boost domestic manufacturing and drive economic growth.
However, critics say Trump's tariffs have simply passed their costs onto U.S. consumers, exacerbating fears about inflation. According to economists, steep import taxes are not "overwhelmingly" paid by foreign nations and middlemen, but rather contribute to higher prices for American consumers.
At the factory floor, Trump chatted with assembly line workers as well as Ford's executive chairman Bill Ford, a descendant of Henry Ford. "All U.S. automakers are doing great," Trump said during his visit.
Despite defending his tariffs, Trump did not discuss the ongoing investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell by his own Department of Justice. Critics say this is an attempt to undermine the central bank's independence in setting interest rates.
Some economic news on Tuesday showed inflation declined slightly last month as prices for gas and used cars fell, a sign that cost pressures are slowly easing. But Trump said in a speech later that day that "we have quickly achieved the exact opposite of stagflation, almost no inflation and super-high growth."
Trump has been making speeches about his economic policies, including ones in Pennsylvania and North Carolina last month, where he claimed his tariffs had spurred the economy despite residents noting the sting of higher prices. He also used a casino as a backdrop to talk about the economy in Michigan, delivering a speech at the MotorCity Casino.
Democrats have seized on Trump's visit to Michigan, recalling his October 2024 visit when he said that Democrats' retaining the White House would mean "our whole country will end up being like Detroit."