Donald Trump arrived at the General Motors testing facility in Milford, near Detroit, earlier this week and held nothing back.
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Between praise for the brand and criticism of the electric car, the president took advantage of the stage to reaffirm his support for the traditional automobile industry and take credit for much of the sector's recent rebound in the United States.
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The tour began with Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, who showed Trump some of the company's most representative models.
Then it was time to address the workers, and there the president did not change his usual style: “I have done more for you than your parents, okay?” he launched, before ensuring that, “finally,” the country has a president who defends the automobile industry.
Tariffs, the flag of its industrial policy
Trump put the 25% tariffs he applies to imported vehicles and components back on the table, a measure that, according to him, is bringing production back to American soil.
"The rule is simple: if you make your trucks or your cars outside the United States, you will pay a fee for the right to sell them here and make a profit. Build your factory in Michigan or anywhere else in the United States and produce the vehicles right here, and you will not have to pay any tariffs," he explained.
General Motors, the example that Trump wants to show
The president also celebrated the numbers from General Motors, which he said has increased production of trucks and SUVs by 20% so far this year, in addition to planning an investment of $9 billion in its US plants over the next two years.
"They're coming home because, honestly, when they manufacture here there are no tariffs. It's amazing what the tariffs are doing for GM. They've come a long way. The rest of the world doesn't like it, but that's okay. It's called 'America First,'" he said.
Trump's words come just weeks after General Motors announced an investment of $4 billion dollars to move, starting in 2027, production of the Chevrolet Blazer and Chevrolet Equinox models from Mexico to the Spring Hill plants in Tennessee and Kansas City in Kansas. The Orion Township factory in Michigan, initially designed for electric vehicles, will end up producing large SUVs and combustion-powered pickups, after demand for electric vehicles cooled.
