Trump told Michigan autoworkers he’s ‘done more’ for them than their own parents. But auto employment is down nationally since he took office

President Donald Trump told autoworkers in Michigan on July 27, 2026, that he has done more for them than their own parents. “I’ve done more for you than your parents, OK?” Trump said at the GM Milford Proving Ground. “Your parents are good. I’m not going to knock your parents, but I have been better to you than your parents. That I can tell you, and they would agree with me,” he said.

The speech came less than 100 days before the midterm elections. Trump used the appearance to criticize United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain over the union’s endorsement of Democrats Joe Biden and later Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Trump also credited his tariffs on foreign automobiles for what he described as a stronger U.S. auto industry, and said GM’s truck and SUV production is up by 20% in 2026. However, preliminary seasonally adjusted figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, cited by USA TODAY, show employment in autos and auto parts is down about 4% nationally since December 2024, the month before Trump took office.

Trump criticized UAW leadership while praising rank-and-file support

During the speech, Trump said, “You wouldn’t have an auto industry right now if they got elected,” referring to Biden and Harris. He also made comments about Fain’s standing within the union, saying, “I don’t know what happened to the guy. Somebody said he got fired”, though Fain remains UAW’s president. Trump added, “But I can tell you, it’s the people that count. Those people love Trump,” referring to union members.

Trump has often pointed to his support among working-class union members, including autoworkers, some of whom have voted for him despite their union’s endorsements of Democratic candidates. This backing among blue-collar white voters is believed to have helped him win Michigan in the 2024 election, four years after losing the state to Biden.

In Michigan specifically, total manufacturing jobs fell 2.5% during the same period from December 2024, per the BLS figures. These employment numbers arrive as separate polling has tracked Trump voters’ finances have worsened since he returned to office.

During the 65-minute speech, Trump also criticized Democrats, calling them extreme “communists,” and claimed the United States has had “the single greatest year we’ve ever had as a country.”

Trump additionally revealed that his administration had recently ordered 250 Cadillac Escalades for the presidential motorcade. “We look sharp in those Escalades. Our guys are very spoiled. They like the Escalades, so do I,” Trump said.

He added, “They’re making literally 250 of them, and it was about time.” It was not immediately clear how much the government spent on the purchase or when the vehicles will join the motorcade. The spending disclosure comes as Trump has separately faced questions about his comments on Americans’ finances in other recent public remarks.

Trump used part of the trip to Michigan to support the candidacy of Mike Rogers, who is expected to become the state’s Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. Rogers narrowly lost to Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin in the 2024 election. He is likely to face either Rep. Haley Stevens or Abdul El-Sayed as the Democratic Senate nominee, though the matchup had not been finalized at the time of writing.

Rogers spoke after Trump welcomed him and other Michigan Republican candidates on stage. “Imagine if, Mr. President, you have a senator that cares as much about manufacturing, especially in Michigan, as you do,” Rogers said. He also referenced the SAVE Act, Trump’s long-stalled bill seeking to overhaul voting in federal elections, saying, “When I get back there, Mr. President, if you haven’t gotten it done, we’re going to pass the SAVE Act.”