“Stop Making Fake Promises “,Trump promises to ‘make Detroit great again’ in Michigan rally

Technical difficulties, specifically a faulty microphone, stalled a rally for former president Donald Trump for several minutes on Oct. 18, 2024.
DETROIT, MI – Donald Trump might have added “microphones” to the list of things he would like to make great again after technical difficulties stalled his Friday rally in Detroit.

The former president addressed a crowd of thousands at the Huntington Place event center in an Oct. 18 campaign event, promising to put ‘Detroit, Michigan and America first’ if he were given a second term.

Despite controversy regarding Trump’s recent comments about Detroit, the former president spoke highly of the city’s history as a home to automobile manufacturing.

“Some say my defense of American jobs makes me a protectionist,” Trump said. “Yes, I will protect what is ours, and I will protect our workers, I will protect our jobs and I will protect our borders.”

Heavy on rhetoric but light on details, Trump gave particular focus to the issues of border security and energy production.
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Though the former president spent several minutes praising Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his company’s products and Musk’s support of his re-election campaign, Trump vowed to repeal many of the President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris administration’s sustainable energy policies, opting to instead increase domestic oil production.

“On day one of the Trump administration, I will terminate Kamala’s insane electric vehicle campaign,” Trump said. “We’re going to become energy independent, and we will frack, frack, frack. I will cut your energy prices in half.”

Trump also blamed the Biden-Harris administration for what he called a “crisis” of illegal immigration facing the country’s borders. Trump said he would stop illegal immigration “once and for all” with another term.

The Harris campaign was quick to fire back on Trump’s immigration claims. In a news release sent by Shafeeqa Kolia, Michigan Democratic Coordinated Campaign’s rapid response director accused Trump of blocking a bipartisan border security deal touted by the Biden-Harris administration.

While speaking about tariffs, Trump started to muse about “the most beautiful word in the dictionary,” claiming it’s not “love” or “respect.” Before he could finish his sentence, Trump’s microphone cut out, cueing the candidate to awkwardly pace back and forth on the stage for about 20 minutes until Trump’s voice filled the room again with a single “hello.”
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Trump then changed topics. The world might never know its most beautiful word.

Nov. 5 will be “liberation day” from Biden and Harris’ America, Trump said, and the end of the rally will be “Donald J. Trump’s liberation from this microphone.”

Among the energized crowd was Amanda Kees, a Mundy Township resident who thinks a Trump re-election is the key to a revived economy.

“I’ll take anybody but Kamala – and I’m a woman,” Kees said. “Everything financially Trump’s ever done (appeals to me). I don’t care if he’s a felon; I’m from New Jersey, the Boardwalk Empire locale.”

Also in attendance were John and Sharon Patterson, a pair of “RVers” from South Dakota currently working in Michigan to aid in the sugar beat harvest.

“We need a lot of help in this country, and Trump’s the man to do it,” Sharon Patterson said.

John Patterson said he appreciates Trump for his strong policies on the economy and immigration.

Related: Concerns of economy, inflation bring fans to Detroit to see Trump

Trump, a frequent Michigan visitor as the election nears, participated earlier Friday in a roundtable-style event in Oakland County. He spoke just over week ago, Oct. 10, at a private event with the Detroit Economic Club.

Harris also was in Michigan on Friday, speaking to crowds in Grand Rapids and elsewhere.

Related: Kamala Harris vows to lower healthcare, grocery costs at Grand Rapids rally
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