Walz talks manufacturing in Macomb County

The Democratic nominee for vice president gave a manufacturing-focused speech to a crowd at Macomb Community College Friday.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he and Vice President Kamala Harris, the party’s presidential nominee, would build upon policies like the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act should they win.

“That empowers American workers, revitalizes manufacturing communities, leads us into industries of the future and keep out-innovating and outcompeting the rest of the world. We never fear the future. You build the future and this gives us the opportunity to do it,” Walz told the audience.

The bulk of Walz’s roughly 20-minute speech featured heavy criticisms of former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.

Higher tariffs on imports have made up a key part of Trump’s economic pitch to voters this cycle. It’s a strategy that he employed during his presidency as well. Economists have questioned how well his record of raising taxes on Chinese-imported goods served American manufacturers during his time in office.

Speaking Friday, Walz accused Trump of breaking promises concerning manufacturing jobs.

“Look, he lost the GM Transmission plant down the road. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. He promised to fight for union workers. Repeatedly turned his back on them,” Walz said.

Walz gave his remarks with members of various trade unions — including the United Auto Workers, Laborers’ International Union of North America, and Operating Engineers — standing behind him, according to the campaign.

The Trump campaign has also done its fair share of attacking Harris and Walz on their records concerning the auto and manufacturing industries during stops in southeast Michigan.

Trump says policy proposals from the Harris-Walz campaign, especially in support of electric vehicles, would cost American manufacturing jobs. Walz is also facing criticism for voting against the auto industry bailouts in the late 2000s.

“Today, Tim Walz has to explain to Michiganders how Kamala Harris will bring change while saying there’s nothing she’d do differently to change the policies that have devastated our state over the past 3.5 years. That’s a tall order, because there’s a lot of Michiganders who would have liked things to be done differently,” a written statement from Trump Michigan spokesperson Victoria LaCivita read. “Michiganders want leadership that is able to lower inflation, cut taxes, protect our automobile industry, and close our southern border. Kamala wasn’t able to do any of this over the last three and a half years — and clearly she doesn’t have any intention to do so now,” 

Both campaigns see auto workers as in play this election cycle despite the UAW’s endorsement of the Democratic ticket.

Other major unions, like The Teamsters, have sat out endorsing one candidate over another, though the Michigan Teamsters have endorsed Harris.

Still, the Trump and his vice-presidential pick, Ohio Senator JD Vance, both showed up to southeast Michigan this week.

Thursday, Trump used a speech to the Detroit Economic Club to warn that the “whole country” would end up like Detroit if Democrats win this election.

Walz used Friday’s speech to hit back at Trump.

“City’s growing. Crime’s down. Factories are opening up. But those guys, alls they know about manufacturing is manufacturing bull — every time they show up,” Walz said.

Absentee ballots are already available and being returned this election cycle. Meanwhile, early in-person voting in Detroit begins Saturday, Oct. 19.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »