DETROIT — In what will be his first visit to the auto show in Detroit as president, the White House announced President Barack Obama will be making a trip to the North American International Auto Show on Jan. 20.
The plans were announced by Obama during his weekly address on Saturday.
“Just seven years ago, the industry was on the brink of collapse, with plants closing and hundreds of thousands of workers getting laid off,” Obama said.
“Today, the American auto industry is back. Since our plan went into effect, our automakers have added more than 640,000 new jobs.”
The President said he wants to see the progress the American auto industry has made first hand and will likely use the visit as an opportunity to highlight the revival of the industry following the $85 million bailout.
It’s a plan Obama said he knows wasn’t popular, with many critics calling it a “road to socialism,” or a “disaster” waiting to happen.
“Some said it was too late to turn things around. But I refused to turn my back on so many of the workers that I’d met,” he said.
“Instead, I placed my bet on American workers.”
Specifics of his visit have not been announced yet. It’s unclear if Obama will make any other stops in Michigan.
In September, Obama visited Macomb County Community College in Metro Detroit where he spoke about making community college more affordable.
