Trump could win Michigan in the election. Here's why he's ahead

When you look at the issues voters care about most, it’s not hard to see why Donald Trump made gains in Michigan.

DETROIT – You never know what you’ll hear from former President Donald Trump. He is notorious for goofing around and losing sight of his teleprompter.

His speech Thursday at the Detroit Economic Club, which I attended, was no different. Trump stretched an easy 30-minute speech on automotive policy into a two-hour event that covered many topics.

Still, members of Detroit’s elite club, made up of business and other community leaders, seemed to thoroughly enjoy what they heard. They told me that later too.

The approximately 1,000 people in attendance applauded throughout and laughed at Trump’s jokes. And they appreciated what he said about protecting U.S. jobs and creating fairer trade relationships while reducing taxes and regulations.

This was not portrayed that way in the reporting of the meeting.

If you just listen to the mainstream news media — many of which hate Trump with a passion — you might think that Trump is just hurling insults and lies at his rallies and speeches, painting a bleak picture of the country’s future if he isn’t elected.

However, he does much more. As he did in Detroit, he connects with his audience and addresses the issues he knows are most important to them.

For Michigan — one of the key battlegrounds this election — it’s about the economy and the long-term health of the auto industry.

Did Trump destroy Detroit? The headlines miss the point.

After the event, virtually every media outlet was obsessed with a comment Trump made when he said what might happen if Vice President Kamala Harris won.

“It will be like Detroit. “Our whole country will end up like Detroit if she were your president,” Trump said. “You’re going to have a mess on your hands.”

The comment was portrayed as an insult to Detroit and Detroiters, who are often quick to take offense at outside criticism, and Democrats seized on the comment with plenty of feigned outrage.

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But taken in context, Trump was making a much broader statement, John Rakolta Jr., chairman of Detroit-based construction company Walbridge and Trump’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, told me after the event.

Rakolta, who introduced the former president and conducted a question-and-answer session with him after his speech, said Trump was referring to Detroit’s well-known financial problems and historic bankruptcy in 2013. During his speech, Trump focused quite a bit on the national debt was $35 trillion and the deficit was nearly $2 trillion, warning that Harris’ policies would put the country in even further financial peril.

Rakolta said Trump’s speech resonated not only with business leaders, but also with union members, who are a key constituency in Michigan. Harris is struggling with union support while Trump is gaining ground among working-class voters.

And that’s because he talks about the issues that matter to them.

Trump is closing the gap in the battleground states and is ahead in Michigan

A recent Quinnipiac University poll released a day before Trump’s appearance in Detroit shows him closing the gap with the “blue wall” states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, with Harris and Trump essentially a dead heat. In Michigan, Trump leads Harris 50% to 47%, and the ground gains he has made over the last month suggest that their post-debate momentum is fading.

Of the seven battleground states, Trump is slightly ahead in all but Wisconsin.

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When you look at the issues voters care about most, it’s not hard to see why Trump made gains in Michigan.

The Quinnipiac poll found Michigan voters believe Trump would handle the economy better (53% to 45%). When it comes to immigration, 53% say Trump is better than Harris (44%).

And when it comes to electric vehicles, an issue important to auto workers, Trump is also ahead. Michigan voters are likely to reject government incentives to encourage people to buy more electric vehicles (57-34%). These incentives, as well as any EV regulations, are something Trump has focused on this campaign, and he railed against them in his speech in Detroit.

Among her many failures, Harris is trying to portray herself as someone who would never enforce an electric car mandate, even though the Biden-Harris administration has pushed for just that.

While it’s easy for Trump’s opponents to become obsessed with his irreverent style and histrionics, there’s a reason his message resonates with voters.

That’s why I think he’ll win Michigan.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist for USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques.

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Trump could win Michigan in the election. Here’s why he’s ahead

When you look at the issues voters care about most, it’s not hard to see why Donald Trump made gains in Michigan.

Did Trump destroy Detroit? The headlines miss the point.

Trump is closing the gap in the battleground states and is ahead in Michigan

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Trump could win Michigan in the election. Here’s why he’s ahead

When you look at the issues voters care about most, it’s not hard to see why Donald Trump made gains in Michigan.

Did Trump destroy Detroit? The headlines miss the point.

Trump is closing the gap in the battleground states and is ahead in Michigan

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