Donald Trump in Flint talks auto industry, economy and arrest of assassination suspect in Florida

FLINT, Mich. (FOX 2) - Former President Donald Trump was part of a held at the Dort Financial Center and will be moderated by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Trump addressed the American auto industry, emphasizing the need to bring back manufacturing jobs and energy costs.

In the birthplace of General Motors, Trump had a jab for UAW President Shawn Fain, who has endorsed Democrat candidate Kamala Harris. Fain has called the former president a "scab" and said UAW members supporting Trump "are just voting their paycheck."

"You used to be the capital of the world in cars. Today you are an afterthought in cars and I don’t know the head of your union - I’ve never met the gentleman Shawn," he said. "But what he’s done to your union and what he’s done by agreeing to allow this country to say we’re going all electric. Which at some point, they’re going to end up taking back that mandate - because that mandate is insane. For him to do that you are at 25 percent where you used to be, and heading south."

Trump spoke about his energy plans and how he thinks it will aid an economic recovery.

"It's my ambition to get your energy bill down 50 percent within 12 months," he said. "If I can do that, interest rates are going to follow. And they're going to follow for another reason, the economy is now, is not good, We're going to get interest rates down, and we've got to work with our farmers. Our farmers are being decimated."

Under banners that read "Better Off With Trump" the former president addressed the most recent suspected attempt on his life in Florida, Sunday when he was golfing.

Secret Service agents fired on the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, as he was lying in wait on a golf course Trump was playing on, armed with an AK-47-style riffle and a GoPro camera. He was eventually arrested.

"We had an incident the other day and I have to say, the, Secret Service did a hell of a job," Trump said. "One of the agents, was waiting a couple of holes in front, and he saw the rifle. AK, 47 that's serious stuff, right? (The agent) saw the barrel of the gun coming out from a bush. Can you believe it? This guy was all set. He was all set to do his number, and there was no talk. He took his gun, started shooting him, and this guy ran."

Trump praised the witness who noticed the suspect running and followed him in his SUV and took photos of his license plate, quipping that "women are smarter than men."

"She takes pictures of the plate, and then she sends the pictures into the sheriff's office, and the sheriff's saying ‘Wow, this is pretty amazing.’ And they were able to get this guy within 10 minutes (after) a high-speed chase."

Trump criticized the Biden-Harris administration's plan for all EVs by 2030, saying that China would be the biggest beneficiary of the goal.

"China's going to take over all of your business because of the electric car, and because they have the material we don't," he said. "We have so much gasoline we don't know what to do with it all. They don't have gasoline. So why are we making it a product that they dominate? They're going to dominate. You will not have a car industry left, not even a little bit of a car industry. 

"Right now, the battery technology isn't there for the long term. I always say, I love the electric car, but they don't go far enough, and they don't do well in the cold."

A man who claimed he was a contractor asked about Trump's tax plan, saying he was concerned with Democrat candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris' tax talk.

"She wants to terminate the Trump tax cut. Just that is going to lift up your taxes by 44% just that one vote. And remember, I have it so that your farmer, a small businessman, you have no inheritance tax, they're going to give that up."

The Trump campaign has been in Michigan often this week, including a stop by Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance in Sparta. Genesee County, where Flint is based, is a key district in mid-Michigan and represents a swing district with an open race for Congress. Many rate the race a toss-up and could serve as a key constituency to help tip Michigan blue or red.

Under banners that read "Better Off With Trump" the former president addressed the most recent suspected attempt on his life in Florida, Sunday when he was golfing.

Michigan has been a frequent stop for the Republican nominee who has already made several visits to cities in the southern half of the state, including in Potterville for a trip to a manufacturing plant and Detroit where he spoke at a National Guard conference.