DETROIT, Mich — President Donald Trump is visiting Michigan today, touring a Ford factory in Dearborn where the F-150 is manufactured and speaking to members of the Detroit Economic Club in a closed event.
We learned overnight that Trump will be visiting the Ford plant that produces the F-150, America's best-selling domestic vehicle. He's also scheduled to address the Detroit Economic Club at the Motor City Casino Sound Board Theater in an event restricted to club members and their guests.
The specific topics of his speech have not been disclosed, but a Detroit Economic Club spokesperson suggested the automotive industry will likely be discussed.
"The audience of members are frequently people from the industry or who do close business with the industry, so it would be no surprise if the auto industry was a topic of the speech by the president, because it's frequently the topic of speeches by political and government leaders when they come to Detroit to talk to the DEC," Matt Friedman told Scripps News Detroit.
This marks Trump's first return to Michigan since April, when he visited Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township and announced 21 new F-15 E-X fighter jets. Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer considered that move a bipartisan win for the state at the time.
The visit comes after Trump announced new tariffs on Monday through a social media post, targeting any country doing business with Iran. The announcement follows reports from a human rights news agency that a nationwide crackdown in Iran has left more than 500 protesters dead.
The new tariff order could significantly increase the cost of importing goods from China, a major trading partner for both Iran and the United States.
Some experts believe Trump will use his Michigan visit to promote efforts to boost U.S. manufacturing and address concerns about a weak job market and rising prices for everyday goods.
Friedman noted that economic challenges have been a frequent discussion topic at Detroit Economic Club events.
"Over the past few years, we've heard from a range of speakers with a range of points of view who have talked about inflation, affordability, and all the economic factors that people are dealing with in their daily lives. That's been a frequent topic of conversation on stage at the DEC from business executives, as well as elected officials," Friedman said.
The White House has not provided additional details about how the Iran-related tariffs will be implemented.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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