Trump in Michigan: President announces F-15EX Eagle II coming to Selfridge
President Donald Trump marks 100 days with Michigan visit amid trade talks
As President Donald Trump celebrates his 100th day in office during his second term, he heads to Michigan to address key issues including tariff relief for automakers and border enforcement. With approval ratings at a historic low, the administration aims to showcase progress in trade negotiations and immigration control.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - President Donald Trump is making his first visit to Michigan since taking the Oval Office in January with a rally in Warren as he celebrates 100 days as Commander in Chief – and is announcing new fighter jets will come to Selfridge Air Base as the over 100-year-old facility was under threat of closure.
Trump is making an afternoon visit to Selfridge Air National Guard Base for an announcement alongside Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, followed by a visit to Macomb Community College.
Air Force 1 landed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base around 4:10 p.m. Shortly after, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Governor Whitmer entered a hangar in front of Michigan National Guard.
Trump opened his remarks by saying he was going to "save this place" - referring to Selfridge, which has been feared to be downsizing as the military retires the A-10 fighter aircraft.
The Republican President said the Democratic governor traveled to the White House earlier this month to save Selfridge.
"That's the reason she came to see me, by the way, to save Selfridge. And, she was very effective, along with some of the other politicians and some of the military people. They love this place," he said. "I want to thank Governor Gretchen Whitmer for bringing it to our attention."
Trump thanked others as well, including Republican House Speaker Matt Hall and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The president said he saved the A-10 during his first term - but it's now coming to an end.
"They've been calling everybody, but the only one that mattered was Trump. They called Trump and we got it done, which represents $850 million in economic impact across the state of Michigan," he said.
Trump said he's laying to rest any doubts of the future of Selfridge.
"As commander in chief, I'm proud to announce that very soon, we will replace the retiring A-10 warthogs with 21 brand-new F-15 EX Eagle II fighter jets, the best in the world," Trump said.
The president spoke briefly before handing the podium over to Hegseth and then Whitmer.
The governor said she did not have plans to speak but thanked the president for his work to keep the base open.
"On behalf of all the military men and women who serve our country and serve so honorably on behalf of the state of Michigan, I am really damn happy we're here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge. It's crucial for the Michigan economy. It's crucial for the men and women here, for our homeland security and our future. So thank you. I'm so, so grateful that this announcement was made today and I appreciate all the work," Whitmer said.
How to watch Trump in Michigan
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The President is making the visit to Michigan, a state rocked by his steep trade tariffs and combative attitude toward Canada.
Why Michigan?:
Michigan was one of the battleground states Trump flipped from the Democratic column last November as he swept the battleground states. But Michigan has also been deeply affected by his tariffs, including on new imported cars and auto parts.
Michigan pollster Bernie Porn said the choice of Michigan is about Trump doing what he wants.
"I’m not sure that he is at all interested in doing the smart thing," said Porn. "He is what I would call an in-your-face president. ‘This is what I’m going to do.’"
For the past three months, Michigan's unemployment rate has climbed to 5.5% after jumping 1.3% in March – making Michigan's unemployment rate among the highest in the nation and above the national average of 4.2%.
In the wake of Trump's 25% tariff announcement on April 2, Stellantis halted production in its plant in Windsor, Ontario, and temporarily laying off 900 U.S. autoworkers.
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Industry groups have separately urged the White House to scrap plans for tariffs on imported auto parts, warning that doing so would raise prices on cars and could trigger "layoffs and bankruptcy."
The President may be heeding that warning, to an extent. Tuesday morning, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would sign an executive order to relax some of his tariffs on cars and auto parts.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who joined Leavitt at the White House briefing, said the goal was to enable automakers to create more domestic manufacturing jobs.
"President Trump has had meetings with both domestic and foreign auto producers, and he’s committed to bringing back auto production to the U.S.," Bessent said. "So we want to give the automakers a path to do that, quickly, efficiently and create as many jobs as possible."
Trump will also be visiting Selfridge in Macomb County, which
"Michigan always feels very, very positively toward Canada," said the pollster, who noted that its voters "can’t be reacting well to the kinds of things he’s done."
The other side:
His appearance with Whitmer is also notable and will be the second time in a month that the two will be photographed together.
Whitmer and Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall both met with Trump in the White House on April 14.
Gov. Whitmer meets with auto dealers amid Trump tariff turmoil
With the Trump administration's looming 25% tariffs on imported auto parts, the impact is hard to predict, according to Thad Szott of Szott Auto Group. "From a dealer perspective, I think every dealer is in a unique situation. Different manufacturers have different challenges," he said. That's why Whitmer and Dingell sat down with around 15 different Metro Detroit dealership owners to discuss tariffs and how they might affect Michigan’s economy.
Whitmer, who was elected first in 2018 and battled with Trump during his first term in 2020, has sought to find common ground as her term as governor winds down next year.
The term-limited governor is concerned about the A-10 aircraft stationed at the base being phased out, though Trump recently said he hoped to keep Selfridge "open, strong, thriving."
Porn noted that Whitmer has continued to criticize Trump on key issues like the environment.
"She does, I think, more so than a lot of other Democrats, realize that the guy’s in office, and it probably makes sense to try and — to the extent possible on those things where they agree — work together with him," he said.
The Source: The White House provided details about Trump's visit and the Associated Press provided information for this story.