Trump Criticizes Detroit, Sparks Outrage from Michigan Leaders \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Donald Trump faced swift backlash after criticizing Detroit during a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, suggesting the city represents what the U.S. could become under Vice President Kamala Harris’s leadership. Local leaders, including Mayor Mike Duggan and Governor Gretchen Whitmer, responded forcefully, defending the city’s progress. Despite Detroit’s financial struggles in the past, it has recently experienced significant revitalization, making Trump’s comments particularly contentious.
Trump’s Detroit Speech Quick Looks:
- Trump suggested the U.S. would resemble Detroit if Kamala Harris were elected, sparking widespread criticism.
- Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Governor Gretchen Whitmer quickly defended the city’s recent progress.
- Trump’s remarks reference Detroit’s past financial struggles, but the city has seen significant revitalization in recent years.
- Detroit is now a destination for major events, like the NFL Draft, and has been working to improve its finances, population, and city services.
- Wayne County, home to Detroit, has historically voted against Trump, with large margins favoring Democrats in 2016 and 2020.
Deep Look:
In a speech at the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday, former President Donald Trump criticized Detroit, using the city as a symbol of decline to argue against the election of his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump’s remarks drew immediate backlash from Michigan’s Democratic leaders and locals who felt the comments undermined the city’s hard-earned progress over the last decade. The former president, who has frequently used cities as stand-ins for broader political attacks, warned that the entire country would face Detroit’s fate if Harris were elected.
“The whole country will be like — you want to know the truth? It’ll be like Detroit,” Trump said during his address. “Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president.”
Trump’s remarks, delivered to a room full of auto industry leaders and blue-collar workers, were aimed at appealing to a key voter base in Michigan, a crucial battleground state in national elections. However, his comments about Detroit were conflicting. While criticizing the city as a potential future for the U.S. under Harris, he also referred to Detroit as a “developing” city, a term some attendees found to be a backhanded compliment rather than praise.
Local Democrats and civic leaders quickly fired back at Trump. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was one of the first to respond, pointing to the city’s recent progress in reducing crime, stabilizing its population, and improving finances following its bankruptcy nearly a decade ago. “Lots of cities should be like Detroit. And we did it all without Trump’s help,” Duggan wrote on social media, defending the progress made under his administration.
Detroit, once a symbol of American industrial might, fell into steep decline after the collapse of the auto industry and decades of disinvestment. The city declared bankruptcy in 2013, becoming the largest U.S. city to do so. Since then, Detroit has focused on improving infrastructure, city services, and reducing blight. Many locals now see the city as being on the path to revival, making Trump’s comments especially offensive to those who have witnessed its transformation.
U.S. Representative Shri Thanedar, who represents Detroit in Congress, was even more blunt in his response to Trump. On social media, Thanedar criticized Trump’s use of Detroit as a political talking point and urged him to “keep Detroit and our people out of your mouth.” Attorney General Dana Nessel also weighed in, likening Trump’s remarks to an insulting pick-up line, saying, “This guy is calling us ugly and then asking us out on a date.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a prominent figure in Democratic politics and a major surrogate for the Harris campaign, also took to social media to express her disapproval of Trump’s rhetoric. “And you better believe Detroiters won’t forget this in November,” she posted on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing that voters in the city would remember Trump’s comments at the ballot box.
While Trump’s remarks highlighted Detroit’s history of financial struggles, the city has made significant strides over the last decade. Emerging from bankruptcy in 2014, Detroit has stabilized its finances, improved essential services, and seen a slowdown in population loss, with efforts to reverse decades of decline. The city’s downtown area has been revitalized, drawing new businesses, residents, and tourists. Major events like the NFL Draft have recently taken place in Detroit, with over 775,000 people attending the three-day event in April 2024, setting an attendance record. The city is now a destination for conventions, sports events, and cultural gatherings, contrasting sharply with its previous image as a symbol of urban decay.
Trump’s campaign, however, doubled down on his remarks. Victoria LaCivita, the Michigan communications director for Trump’s campaign, released a statement defending his criticism of Detroit, claiming that the city had “suffered from globalist policies championed by Kamala Harris,” which she said contributed to the offshoring of manufacturing jobs. LaCivita added that Trump’s policies would usher in a “new era of economic success and stability” for Detroit, allowing the city to reach its full potential.
Despite the defense, many in Detroit feel that the former president’s comments were out of touch with the current reality of the city. Detroit’s reputation as a national punchline, rooted in its financial troubles of the past, no longer reflects the strides it has made toward revitalization. Local residents, as well as leaders, feel a sense of pride in the work done to rebuild the city, making Trump’s remarks particularly painful for a community that has fought to overcome its challenges.
Judy Moenck, a 68-year-old attendee of Trump’s speech, viewed the comments differently. She suggested that Trump might have been referring to the city’s troubled past rather than intentionally insulting it. “I don’t think it was intentional on his part,” Moenck said. “There was blight. Now tremendous work has been done, and Detroiters will feel probably a little bit hurt by that.”
Her husband, Dean Moenck, 74, who no longer considers himself a Republican, agreed that Trump’s remarks fit his campaign style of emphasizing negative aspects for political gain. “He brings out the negative things of Detroit,” Dean said, acknowledging that some Detroiters might take the comments to heart.
This is not the first time Trump has disparaged the cities where he is campaigning. In recent weeks, while dealing with legal battles in New York City, Trump repeatedly criticized the city’s leadership, calling it dirty and crime-ridden. He suggested that New Yorkers, concerned about issues like public safety and immigration, might reconsider voting for him despite the city’s overwhelmingly Democratic leanings.
For Detroit, Trump’s comments come at a time when many residents feel the city has moved beyond its past struggles and is on a path toward a brighter future. Civic leaders like Mayor Duggan remain focused on continuing the progress made in recent years, with efforts to attract more businesses, residents, and major events. The city’s transformation from bankruptcy to revitalization has been a source of pride for Detroiters, making the former president’s remarks a sore point for many.
As the 2024 election approaches, Trump’s remarks about Detroit may have lasting political consequences. Wayne County, home to Detroit, has consistently voted against Trump in previous elections, with Trump securing only about 30% of the vote in both 2016 and 2020. With key states like Michigan likely to play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the presidential race, Trump’s rhetoric may alienate more voters in the region.
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