US President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One
Credit: Reuters Photo
President Donald Trump is planning to travel to Michigan on Tuesday, on the 100th day of his second term, for back-to-back events meant to demonstrate his commitment to the heart of American manufacturing at a time when many people are growing dissatisfied with his economic agenda.
Trump plans to visit Selfridge Air National Guard Base, whose future has been uncertain in recent years. He has said he is working with local officials to keep Selfridge open and vowed an infusion of new resources, such as fighter jets, at the base.
After that, the president is expected to travel to Macomb Community College, where he will speak at a rally of supporters, hoping to build momentum around his economic policies.
It is no coincidence that Trump is traveling to the area most associated with the loss of American manufacturing jobs. Detroit, the home of the U.S. auto industry, has lost one-third of its population since 2000.
The trip comes at a pivotal time for Trump's presidency.
His expansive tariffs have hurt the stock market and contributed to a drop in his approval rating. A majority of Americans approved of Trump's performance in office throughout January and February, but he is now struggling with more people disapproving of him.
In a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, voters said he had "gone too far" on issue after issue: his tariffs, his immigration enforcement, his cuts to the federal workforce.
Against that backdrop, Trump's trip is meant to send a message that he is committed to working for Americans who have been left behind by globalization. He is expected to make the case that he is working to end decades of unfair trade policies that have cost American jobs, and he plans to highlight the support of the United Auto Workers for his tariff policies.
The president is also expected to speak about his crackdown on immigration, which has caused border crossings to drop sharply but also raised concerns about a lack of due process for those accused of violating laws.
Trump plans to cast himself as a man of action, highlighting the rapid pace of his executive orders. He has signed 137 executive orders this year, nearly as many as his predecessor, Joe Biden, did throughout his four years in office.
But 50% of voters in the Times/Siena poll said the upheaval Trump had brought to the nation's political and economic systems was a "bad thing." Only 36% said the changes were good.