POLITICS
Trump in Michigan live updates: Protesters disrupt speech, autoworker takes stage
Todd SpanglerPaul EganTristan McFolleyClara HendricksonLiam RappleyeDetroit Free Press
Updated July 27, 2026, 4:26 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump returned to Michigan on Monday, July 27 for a 3 p.m. event in Milford, to talk about the economy and all he says he has done to make it better for Michigan and the U.S. auto industry based here
But Trump’s remarks at the General Motors Proving Ground in Oakland County come at an auspicious political moment for the president as well, with a week to go before the state’s Aug. 4 primary elections, which will help determine the outcome of the midterm elections in November
His visit also coincides with the scheduled opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, which he threatened to scuttle despite Canada’s paying for its construction. And an ongoing trade battle with that country still rages, exacerbated a week earlier when Trump said he would hike tariffs on hockey sticks, wine, cement and many other Canadian goods
Watch the stream replay above. Refresh this page and scroll below for live updates
Watch replay: Trump speech in Michigan
Watch Trump’s speech using the video player above (or tap here)
4:26 pm ET July 27, 2026
Speech lasts roughly an hour
Trump ended his speech talking about a set of issues that appeal to his base, including immigrants from the southern border, inflation, and trans issues − all things that he attributed to inheriting Biden’s America. He said that Iran has killed 52,000 protestors, and reiterated that he’s fighting the Iran war to prevent that nation from developing nuclear weapons
He said he’s “turned the country completely around,” but also that there’s still a lot of work to do. He capped off the speech with a call to pass the SAVE America Act and walked offstage to the song Y.M.C.A. by The Village People
4:07 pm ET July 27, 2026
Harsh words for blue cities
Tristan McFolley
Trump called blue cities “dirty, filthy, and grimy” in his address and alluded to New York City. He said red cities don’t have that problem. He said Washington, DC, which has had a National Guard presence for nearly a year, has cleaned up “graffiti-filled statues” and other vandalized parts of the city
3:49 pm ET July 27, 2026
Trump says ‘small cars’ cleared by transportation secretary
Liam Rappleye
Trump claimed that the production of “small cars” has been cleared by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
Trump has previously mused about the possibility of building tiny cars, citing the “cute” cars of Asian countries as examples. Trump also claimed in December that Duffy had approved the “small cars,” though no evidence of such clearance could be found, nor would it be necessary, according to previous reporting by the Detroit Free Press. Experts at the time suggested that the vehicles would not perform well in the U.S. market and may struggle to meet safety requirements
3:45 pm ET July 27, 2026
Trump critical of Shawn Fain
Liam Rappleye
Trump claimed support of autoworkers and slung some mud at Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers
“You guys had a leader, Shawn Fain or something? This guy was bad news,” Trump said to a crowd that included some autoworkers. “I never spoke to him, never saw him. He was a Democrat. He thought that Biden or Kamala would be wonderful.”
Fain, who stumped for President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election, has actually embraced some of Trump’s tariff policies. Earlier this year, the UAW celebrated targeted tariffs after Detroit Diesel brought back its third shift as tariff pressures mounted. At the time, Fain congratulated Trump for rewriting trade rules and enforcing tariffs that could preserve U.S. automotive jobs
Trump, though, implied there was no love between him and Fain
“I don’t know what happened to the guy (Fain),” Trump said. “Somebody said he got fired, but I can tell you, people that count, those people love Trump,” he said, seemingly in reference to UAW-represented autoworkers
Trump also invited Brian Pannebecker, a retired Ford autoworker, on stage. Pannebecker briefly chastised “Crazy Shawn Fain” for his support of Harris and electric vehicles
Fain has not been fired, as Trump alluded to, though he is facing a grand jury investigation (directed by Trump’s Department of Justice) into claims he wrongly sought benefits for his fianceé, who works for Stellantis
3:39 pm ET July 27, 2026
What Trump had to say about the war in Iran
Paul Egan
Trump touched on the war with Iran, which polls show is unpopular with Americans and which has dragged on longer than Trump initially forecast. “We’re beating the hell out of them,” Trump said, and “they’re talking to us about making a deal.” Trump said: “We have destroyed their navy. We have destroyed their air force. We’ve destroyed their leadership.”
3:37 pm ET July 27, 2026
Trump: Get rid of daylight saving time
Tristan McFolley
Trump opened his speech praising GM. He talked about how his father was a big fan of the Cadillac and how you can “set your clock by it.” He then said, “Let’s get rid of daylight saving time.” Congress is considering a bill to do so
3:32 pm ET July 27, 2026
Autoworker takes stage with Trump
Paul Egan
Trump called Brian Pannebecker, founder of Auto Workers for Trump, to the stage. “You saved our domestic auto industry,” Pannebecker told Trump, to cheers. “Jobs are coming back to America.” But preliminary seasonally adjusted June numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show employment in autos and auto parts down about 4% nationally from December 2024, the month before Trump took office. In Michigan, total manufacturing jobs fell 2.5% during the same period, records show
3:22 pm ET July 27, 2026
Loud protesters disrupt speech
Paul Egan
Trump’s speech was interrupted early on by loud protesters holding large black and yellow signs that said “stop data centers” and chanting against data centers. They were soon hustled out by security as Trump supporters started a “USA” counterchant. Trump briefly paused as the interruption took place
3:13 pm ET July 27, 2026
Trump takes the stage
Paul Egan
President Donald Trump took the stage at about 3:10 p.m. at the GM Milford Proving Ground as chants of “USA” erupted from the crowd of more than 1,000 people
3:03 pm ET July 27, 2026
Perry Johnson supporters gather at ‘Trump Tailgate’
Clara Hendrickson
At a “Trump Tailgate” hosted by Bloomfield Hills businessman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson, footage of Trump’s visit played in the background. But there wasn’t much love for President Donald Trump’s pick to be Michigan’s next governor, U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township
In fact, some expressed disdain for James over tailgate tacos and cocktails with names such as “Lansing Shaker” and “Bureaucracy Buster.”
“In my opinion, John James is the most arrogant person I’ve ever met in my entire life,” said Rosanne Ponkowski, 69, of West Bloomfield, a local conservative leader. She echoed some attendees who said that they would vote for James if he is the nominee but wouldn’t do so with much enthusiasm
2:30 pm ET July 27, 2026
Drag racing for the president
Todd Spangler
A report by the pool of reporters traveling with Trump in his visit to the GM Proving Ground indicated he watched several vehicles participate in a drag race on a track at the Milford facility
According to the pool report: A white 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing took on a white 2027 Corvette Z06 with orange stripes, followed by a bronze 2027 GMC electric Hummer running against a black 2026 Cadillac Escalade V. Finally, a black 2027 Corvette ZR1X raced a silver Corvette ZR1 convertible
It took all of about seven minutes, apparently. The winners of each race weren’t immediately released by the pool but a video of the drag races was posted by C-SPAN. An announcer could be heard calling the winners: The Z06, the Hummer and the ZR1X. Trump reportedly pumped his fist in the air as the races ended
2:27 pm ET July 27, 2026
John James takes the stage to cheers
Tristan McFolley
Republican gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. John James took the stage to cheers. He thanked Trump for his endorsement and said he’s the best president in James’ lifetime. He spoke about how socialism and Marxism are rising in the country
“Socialism is no longer on our doorstep. It’s inside the house. The Democrat Party you used to know is gone. In its place is a movement of radical extremism,” James said
“Michigan now has a choice in this election. Freedom or socialism? Common sense, or crazy?”
James said young people are fleeing Michigan and have little to believe in, because “leaders in Michigan tell them that babies are expendable, gender, school, parental rights are optional, and the nuclear family is obsolete.”
2:13 pm ET July 27, 2026
Rogers wants to end state’s GOP dry spell in U.S. Senate
Paul Egan
The Aug. 4 primary election is important to the political futures of many Michigan candidates. But for former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who addressed the July 27 crowd in Milford waiting to hear from President Donald Trump, it’s only important in determining which Democrat he will face in November’s election for the U.S. Senate. Republicans cleared the field so Rogers could lock up the nomination early. In his speech, Rogers sought to link Michigan’s poor performance in elementary school assessment tests, high electricity rates and high auto insurance premiums to the fact Michigan has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1994. “Man, do we need a change,” Rogers said. He didn’t mention that, during that same time period, Michigan has had two Republican governors and Republicans frequently in control of one or both chambers of the state Legislature.
2:00 pm ET July 27, 2026
Where car sales, automaker investments stand as Trump touts ‘comeback’
Liam Rappleye
Prior to his visit, Trump touted a “roaring comeback” of the automotive industry in a news release. The president cited major investments in U.S. manufacturing from the Detroit Three automakers.
Indeed, the Detroit Three have each made multi-billion-dollar investments into U.S. manufacturing as a way to skirt Trump’s proposed tariffs. GM has promised to spend about $6 billion to boost domestic manufacturing. Ford, too, promised to spend $3 billion at its BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall, saying the move would create about 1,700 jobs. Stellantis committed to a $13 billion investment in its midwestern manufacturing operations, a move it expects to bring in 5,000 new jobs.
Many of those investments have yet to actualize, as most of those plants need to be retooled or redeveloped and won’t open on the back of that money until 2027 at the earliest.
Trump also celebrated record automotive sales in 2025, which were driven by a rush to cash in on Biden-era electric vehicle incentives that Trump moved to eliminate. As a result of Trump deregulating the automotive industry, the Detroit Three largely did away with previous commitments to electrification and refocused on internal combustion engines. Cumulatively, the automakers wrote off about $50 billion in losses at the end of the year as all three pivoted away from EV manufacturing
The president’s campaign said the high sales in 2025 are evidence of a Trump-led automotive “renaissance.” While sales have, in fact, increased, so have prices of new vehicles.
The average transaction price on new cars as of June 2026 is $48,906. Prices have hovered around the $49,000 mark for about a year. Five years ago, in June of 2021, the average transaction price of a new vehicle was $42,258, according to data from Kelley Blue Book.
1:03 pm ET July 27, 2026
Speaker calls for GOP unity
Paul Egan and Tristan McFolley
House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, speaking to reporters at the GM facility in Milford prior to Trump’s speech, said he wants to see more unity and less divisiveness in the GOP race for governor between U.S. Rep. John James, who is endorsed by Trump, and Oakland County businessman Perry Johnson, who isn’t. “I don’t think someone can win without Trump’s endorsement in Michigan,” Hall said. “President Trump’s endorsement carries a lot of weight with the voters in this primary … That’s why John James is going to win.”
12:41 pm ET July 27, 2026
John James gets support from Trump crowd, too
Tristan McFolley
It’s hot and humid outside in Milford, with storm clouds looming over the crowd waiting to get into a GM building to see President Trump speak
Nate Plaster, 31, of Taylor, is here with his church, advocating for Christian rights. They’re part of the Kingdom of God Global Church, which saw high-ranking leaders charged in 2025 in an alleged forced labor and money laundering scheme. Plaster hopes Trump will support his church
“It’s really important to me to preserve my rights as a Christian,” he said. “I’m not saying you have to be a Christian, but don’t try to erase that from my country.”
Elliott Cook, 20, of Lansing, is here in support of Trump. He supports Trump’s endorsement of U.S. Rep. John James for governor, though he thinks any Republican would suffice. James is up against businessman Perry Johnson in the Republican primary
“The president has spoken on who he feels is the best choice, and if the people of Michigan agree, and that ends up being the best choice, then we’re going to fight hard to make sure John gets into office and we can take that governor’s office back,” he said
Cook likes the current direction that Trump is taking the Republican Party. “I think we just need to continue with this common sense era we’re in, versus the way the Democratic Party’s going,” he said
Dalvin Henderson, 32, of Redford, is here with his brother and his friend in support of Trump. Henderson said he tries to stay in the middle of the aisle, but he’s supporting John James for this governor’s race
12:29 pm ET July 27, 2026
Trump flanked by plenty of horsepower
Paul Egan
As is appropriate in Michigan, Trump will be surrounded by fast and fancy cars when he speaks July 27 at a GM facility in Milford. Arranged around the stage will be a 2026 Chevrolet Corvette that will serve as the pace car for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C. next month, a 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, and a 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
11:42 am ET July 27, 2026
Where Trump will speak
Paul Egan
President Trump’s speech July 27 will be delivered in Building 104 of the GM Milford Proving Ground. It’s a huge room where refinements are made to GM performance vehicles and it is usually full of vehicles up on hoists, a company spokesman said. The room is now starting to fill with GM employees and those with tickets
11:29 am ET July 27, 2026
Trump has a busy day planned
Todd Spangler
It sounds like President Trump has quite the agenda for his trip to Oakland County today. The schedule put out by the White House earlier indicates he will be viewing “a drag race and vehicle demonstration” at GM’s Proving Ground in Milford before a “tour and gift ceremony.” His remarks are scheduled to begin at 2:50 p.m. before he jets back to Washington for the day
10:54 am ET July 27, 2026
Michigan Dems: Trump will take down GOP ticket
Clara Hendrickson
Ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said the president has broken his promises to rein in rising costs and not start new wars.
But Hertel said he welcomes Trump to Michigan. “At the end of the day, I think Donald Trump is the best spokesperson that the Michigan Democratic Party can have,” he said during a virtual news conference on Monday, July 27. “We look forward to him being here and taking down the rest of the Republican ticket with him,” he added
Democrats have characterized the upcoming midterm election as a referendum on Trump’s return to the White House
While they cast Republicans as obsessed with demonstrating loyalty to the president, Democrats say their focus is on making life more affordable for working people. But Michigan House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton, offered few specifics when pressed on what Democrats’ policy agenda would look like if they flip the Michigan House of Representatives and retain control in the Michigan Senate and governor’s office. Instead, he blasted Trump and said Republican state lawmakers have “just rubber-stamped everything that Donald Trump has wanted.”
10:00 am ET July 27, 2026
Not quite a booming economy
Todd Spangler
President Trump is all but certain to talk about all he says he has done to help the auto industry based in Detroit but neither it, nor the general economy in Michigan, is booming in his second term.
As of June, overall employment in Michigan was up since January 2025, when Trump began his second term, by about 11,000 jobs. But that’s a minuscule amount, about one-quarter of 1 percent, in a year and a half. The state’s unemployment rate declined by three-tenths of a percentage point to 5 percent
As for the auto industry, employment was down − slightly − nationwide when looking overall at both automakers and suppliers, year over year (comparing this June to last): Parts employment, especially, was down steeply. And just as with the nation, in Michigan jobs at automakers were up slightly (half a percent) while parts employment continued to drop (minus 4 percent). And parts makers and suppliers still employ about twice the number of automakers. (This is all according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
9:21 am ET July 27, 2026
Trump’s last stop here was in January
Todd Spangler
This marks Trump’s first visit to Michigan in six months. In January, he spoke to the Detroit Economic Club and delivered a message about the economy then, proclaiming America was the “hottest country anywhere in the world” and that a manufacturing boom would soon be underway in Michigan
But as the Detroit Free Press reported at the time, there was little evidence then of such a resurgence, despite Trump’s repeated claims that tariffs on imports, his moves to squash governmental policies and subsidies to push electric vehicles and foreign investment, would supercharge the auto industry
9:02 am ET July 27, 2026
Ticket info for Trump event in Michigan
Tanya Wildt
Ticket reservations were made available Sunday, July 26, for President Donald Trump’s visit Monday, July 27 to General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground
The Michigan Republican Party shared the ticket information in a news release Sunday. Guest may register for up to two tickets per mobile number. All tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis
Doors open at 11 a.m. for the rally at General Motors Proving Ground, 3300 General Motors Road in Milford
Here’s more
