A string of presidential campaign stops in Michigan this week kicked off Wednesday in Auburn Hills.
Ohio Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, mostly kept to talking points while speaking to supporters at a facility of the aerospace manufacturing company Visioneering in Auburn Hills.
Vance promised to beef up American manufacturing should his running mate, former President Donald Trump, retake the White House. And Vance, again, promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
“Here’s the Donald Trump plan and Donald Trump message to illegal aliens in this country: In six months, pack your bags because you’re going home. That’s what we’re going to do,” Vance told the crowd.
It’s familiar rhetoric this campaign cycle that has frequently raised doubts, concerns, and questions about feasibility.
Meanwhile, Democrats accuse Trump of duplicity in his rhetoric on immigration, saying he tanked what was once a bipartisan border security deal in Congress.
Vance’s appearance in metro Detroit came fresh off his Tuesday night debate with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president.
While on stage in Auburn Hills, Vance stayed on the offensive. He repeated his frequent criticisms of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
Vance said while she's been in office, Harris has failed to make life more affordable.
“She says on day one, we’re going to make energy prices lower for American consumers. And on day one, she says, we’re going to take instability and conflict all over the world. Well, Kamala Harris, day one was 1,400 days ago, what the hell have you been doing all that time,” Vance said.
In response to that criticism, the Harris campaign is pointing to a rise in Michigan manufacturing jobs while Democrats controlled the White House, compared to a loss of jobs in the sector while Trump was president.
When asked for his thoughts on the auto industry Wednesday, Vance cast some shade on business incentives meant to bring in electric vehicle jobs.
That’s as Michigan EV battery projects with some ties to Chinese-owned companies have received both funding from the state and heavy criticism from conservatives.
Vance said he believes government spending meant to support an EV transition is going to the wrong places.
“I think there’s certainly a role, I believe this, I know Donald Trump believes this, in encouraging innovation, but there’s a difference between promoting innovation and sending hundreds of millions of dollars to favored industries that makes their products in China,” Vance said.
Before closing his remarks, Vance fielded a question regarding his thoughts on whether he believed Trump won the 2020 presidential race, as Trump has falsely asserted several times.
Instead of addressing it head on, Vance highlighted conservative-aligned get-out-the-vote strategies, like the Swamp the Vote campaign to spread awareness of methods like absentee and early voting.
“I believe that we are going to have the safest and most secure election in 2024 that we’ve had. Because the RNC is fighting for election integrity in a way that it frankly wasn’t four years ago,” Vance said.
Several audits four years ago confirmed President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in Michigan and other contested states.
Michigan is likely to be in the national eye through the weekend. Its 15 electoral votes could be key to winning the November election, and both Trump and Harris have trips to Michigan planned for this week.
Vance headed to Marne in West Michigan for another campaign stop Wednesday after the event in Auburn Hills.
