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As Donald Trump returns, the ‘Michigan miracle’ he promised remains far off – Bridge Michigan

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As Donald Trump returns, the ‘Michigan miracle’ he promised remains far off – Bridge Michigan


  • Republican President Donald Trump will return to Michigan on Tuesday for an economic speech in Detroit
  • After making bold promises to Michigan, Trump’s made some policy progress but economy remains sluggish  
  • The president’s visit comes as the Detroit Auto Show prepares to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors

President Donald Trump is due back in Michigan on Tuesday to deliver an economic speech in Detroit, returning to a state for which he promised an economic miracle by the end of his four-year term. 

Roughly one year in, much work remains for the Republican president to fulfill that promise. 

Michigan has added jobs but continues to have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. Inflation has slowed, but many costs remain high. Tariffs have sparked uncertainty, but not decimated the auto industry, as his detractors feared. 

That’s the backdrop as Trump prepares to address members of the Detroit Economic Club, a group of regional business leaders he last spoke to in 2024 during his winning presidential campaign. 

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He’s also expected to tour the Ford Rouge Center factory in Dearborn, but is not currently scheduled to tour the Detroit Auto Show, which is hosting other officials this week ahead of Saturday’s public opening.

Trump has frequently used Michigan as a backdrop for bold promises to address economic and cultural issues. During a Novi campaign rally in 2024, he promised that by the end of his term, “the entire world will be talking about the Michigan miracle and the stunning rebirth of Detroit.”

President Donald Trump is not currently scheduled to tour the Detroit Auto Show. His predecessor, Joe Biden, is seen here touring the show in 2022. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)

He’s also knocked the city: In his last address to the Detroit Economic Club in 2024, Trump warned the “whole country will end up being like Detroit” if Democrats won that year’s elections. He called Detroit a “once-great city” while promising a litany of tax cuts, deductions and credits that he argued would “save” the domestic auto industry.

Trump has made progress on some of those policy goals, but critics point to sluggish job growth, continued increases in the cost of living and economic uncertainty as signs that Trump’s actions are hurting average citizens.

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He’s returning to Michigan during a tense time, nationally, following his military ouster of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and a fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minnesota. Protests are expected in Detroit. 

As Trump prepares to discuss the economy, here are the facts. 

How tariffs have fared 

Since taking office, Trump has levied tariffs on imported cars and vehicle parts, along with steel and aluminum. He’s also levied new import taxes on products from countries around the world. 

Michigan’s close trading ties to Canada and the prominence of auto manufacturing in the state prompted fears that steep tariffs could negatively impact the state’s economy, though results have been mixed. 

A December 2025 tariff analysis from economists at Harvard and Chicago University determined prices have increased and US businesses have borne the brunt of added costs. But tariff exemptions, shipping lags and enforcement gaps have moderated the overall impact on the economy. 

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University of Michigan economists initially predicted Michigan could lose out on 13,000 jobs to the higher tariffs. In late 2025, an updated report found the tariffs’ impact would ultimately result in a “small positive” for domestic auto production, but raise consumer vehicle prices overall.  

Through September, Michigan had added about 20,000 jobs in 2025, according to federal data. The state also lost billions of dollars in climate-related investments last year under Trump, which advocates contend could have created even more jobs. 

The intent of Trump’s America First trade policy was to increase manufacturing in the U.S., a move that prompted automakers and their suppliers to rethink where products are made. Yet a wave of tariff announcements — including against Michigan’s trade partner, Canada — unsettled the industry. 

Today, various tariff rollbacks and pauses have calmed many industry fears, even as supply chain costs increased, said Glenn Stevens, executive director of statewide advocacy group MichAuto. 

Renewed commitment to autos?

Trump’s visit just days ahead of the Detroit Auto Show signals his commitment to Michigan’s signature industry, Stevens said.

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Stevens said he hopes to hear more from Trump on Tuesday about his hopes for the negotiated North American trade policy under the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement.

“It’s taken a long time to develop this interconnected three country trade bloc, and we want it to be stronger together,” Stevens said. 

Other auto industry policy changes over the past year led to less restrictive fuel economy and emissions standards, along with reducing subsidies for electric vehicles. 

“We know what we’re dealing with now,” Stevens said about many federal directives. 

However, the rapid pace of change cost the industry: Ford Motor Co., for example, is looking at $19.5 billion in write-downs after drastically downsizing its EV production plans. 

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If Trump speaks at length about autos, Stevens said he hopes the president offers signs that he’ll slow the velocity of change.

“The most important thing that the industry needs is as much stability and long-range planning capability as it can have,” Stevens said, allowing lasting investment and product decisions.

Inflation slows, but costs still high 

On the campaign trail, Trump promised to roll back inflation “on Day 1” and raise tariffs to drive job growth in Michigan.

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Inflation has largely negated the impact of household income gains since the COVID-19 pandemic. Inflation increased 2.7% in November, a lower rate than anticipated but one economists warn could be skewed by lack of data collection during last year’s federal government shutdown.

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Cost of living in Michigan and nationally have skyrocketed in recent years, driven by inflation and economic volatility, and the job market is tight. Consumer spirits lifted slightly in December, a University of Michigan survey found, but confidence in personal finances and the economy remains nearly 30% below the same time in 2024. 

In recent weeks, Trump has ordered the government to purchase $200 million in mortgage bonds in an attempt to lower interest rates, and on Friday night announced his support of a one-year, 10% cap on credit card interest rates.

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“Please be informed that we will no longer let the American Public be ‘ripped off, by Credit Card Companies,” Trump wrote on his social media website. “AFFORDABILITY!”

But critics say continued affordability concerns are proof the president’s policies aren’t working.

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“Michiganders are feeling the effects of Trump’s economy every day,” Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said in a statement, arguing that the president’s actions have made costs of necessities like health care unaffordable for many residents.

The average Michigan family of four is paying more than $1,000 a month for groceries, up 40% since 2017 and higher than the national average, per an analysis from the Urban Institute, a nonprofit research firm. 

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Renters have experienced a higher jump in monthly costs than the average national household — data from the real estate company Zillow shows average rents increasing nearly 45% in the Grand Rapids area since 2015 and 35% in metro Detroit.

Michigan’s unemployment rate as of November 2025 was 5%, a 0.2% decrease from November 2024, according to data released by the state Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Per the latest federal data available, Michigan had one of the highest jobless rates in the nation, behind only California, Nevada, New Jersey and Oregon. 

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Median household income in Michigan was $72,389 in 2024, well below the national median of $81,604 — a gap that’s more than doubled since 2014 as the state lags behind the nation in income growth. 

Recent promises to Michigan 

In early 2025, Trump vowed to work with Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to expand operations at Macomb County’s Selfridge Air National Guard Base and fight Asian carp in the Great Lakes. 

Weeks later, Trump showed up to Michigan to announce new fighter jets at the base. Last May, Trump issued a memo directing his administration to “achieve maximum speed and efficiency” to prevent further Asian carp migration into the Great Lakes basin. 

Trump remains focused on increasing military spending, announcing last week that he wants to increase the defense budget by $500 billion, bringing it to a record $1.5 trillion in 2027. 

Whitmer has focused economic development initiatives on the defense sector, beyond Trump’s 2024 announcement about Selfridge expansion. The sector is worth about $30 billion, officials said in 2024 as Whitmer announced an Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation. 

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However, Trump also put the brakes on Biden-era infrastructure spending. The move was blamed last year for Michigan losing a controversial $63 billion semiconductor factory near Flint.

This <a target=”_blank” href=”https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/as-donald-trump-returns-the-michigan-miracle-he-promised-remains-far-off/”>article</a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https://bridgemi.com”>Bridge Michigan</a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<img src=”https://i0.wp.com/bridgemi.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cropped-android-chrome-192×192-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”><img id=”republication-tracker-tool-source” src=”https://bridgemi.com/?republication-pixel=true&post=71487&amp;ga4=G-1E2G9MSHX5″ style=”width:1px;height:1px;”><script> PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: “https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/as-donald-trump-returns-the-michigan-miracle-he-promised-remains-far-off/”, urlref: window.location.href }); } } </script> <script id=”parsely-cfg” src=”//cdn.parsely.com/keys/bridgemi.com/p.js”></script>





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What to know about cyclosporiasis as Michigan health officials investigate 300+ cases in outbreak

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What to know about cyclosporiasis as Michigan health officials investigate 300+ cases in outbreak


Over 300 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported within a week in Southeast Michigan, and Michigan health officials are investigating.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) are actively investigating the potential source of the “large and growing outbreak” of cases confirmed in Monroe, Lenawee, Washtenaw, Wayne, Shiawassee, Jackson and Livingston counties.

Health officials also reported 24 cases across 11 other Michigan counties, including in the city of Detroit. Typically, Michigan only gets around 50 cases per year.

On July 1, MDHHS reported there were at least 170 cases. On Thursday, the number of cases jumped to at least 300.

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Read more –> Michigan health officials warn of ‘large and growing outbreak’ of cyclosporiasis

The age range of individuals who were diagnosed with the illness ranges from 8 years old to 84 years old, with a median age of 41, according to MDHHS.

Health officials are working to determine the common exposure of the outbreak in Michigan.

Here’s what to know about cyclosporiasis:

What is cyclosporiasis?

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by a parasite and infects the small intestine.

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Healthcare providers can diagnose the illness by testing a stool sample.

Signs and symptoms

If infected with cyclosporiasis, people may experience watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.

The illness can last from a few days to over a month if the illness is not treated. Symptoms could relapse.

The timeframe from becoming infected to becoming sick usually takes about one week but can range from two days to two weeks or more.

In the US, outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce. People can get infected with Cyclospora more than once.

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Anyone who experiences symptoms of cyclosporiasis should see their healthcare provider.

How it spreads

The illness can spread when people eat food or drink water that was contaminated with feces.

The CDC said it can take at least one or two weeks outside the body for Cyclospora to become infectious after passing in a bowel movement, making direct person-to-person transmission unlikely.

How to prevent cyclosporiasis

According to the CDC, people can prevent infection by avoiding food or water that may contain feces and by following food safety recommendations for safe preparation and storage.

The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water before and after handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables.

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Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting or cooking. Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating.

Read more on prevention here.

Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.



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Two people dead and a third injured in shooting at Michigan shopping mall

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Two people dead and a third injured in shooting at Michigan shopping mall


A shooting altercation between two groups of young people at a shopping mall in Dearborn, Michigan, left two people dead and a third injured over what is typically the most violent weekend of the year in the US, police said.

The shooting occurred as the US began celebrating the Fourth of July, historically a holiday weekend that sees higher rates of gun violence across the country. In 2024, the Gun Violence Archive reported more than 500 shootings over Independence Day weekend.

The shooting at Fairlane Town Center on Friday sent mall patrons scrambling, including a person who was hit by a vehicle outside the mall while attempting to flee, said Issa Shahin, the Dearborn police chief.

People believed to be linked to the fight were being questioned at the police station, but no one was immediately taken into custody, he said.

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Shahin said the altercation was not a random act: the two groups knew each other and after they came into contact at the mall a fight started that escalated into gunfire. Members of both groups had handguns, he said.

One of the victims died inside Fairlane Town Center and the other died at a nearby hospital. Details on the third person who was shot were not released.

The mall was evacuated after the shooting and police planned to keep it closed while they investigated.

A video posted to social media appeared to show people running from the shopping center after gunshots could be heard.

Fairlane Town Center has more than 125 stores and restaurants, according to its website.

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Dearborn is a suburb of Detroit with a population of more than 100,000 people about nine miles west of Detroit.

Tyhrann Howard, Michigan state police specialist lieutenant, said the agency was assisting with the investigation and referred questions to the Dearborn police.

A person who answered the phone at the telephone number for mall security declined comment.

Associated Press contributed reporting



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Michigan lawmakers work through the night on ‘compromise’ budget

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Michigan lawmakers work through the night on ‘compromise’ budget


Lansing — Michigan lawmakers worked through the night into Friday morning on a new state budget that will use an array of spending cuts and funding maneuvers to close a $1 billion tax revenue gap.

The plan will increase the state’s investment in basic per-student support for Michigan schools and will feature $125 million for special projects sought by legislators. However, 10 state departments will get less money than they had the year before, and a variety of state initiatives, such as the arts and culture program, Pure Michigan and the Office of Global Michigan, will see cuts.

Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, described the new budget, which authorized somewhere around $84 billion in spending, as one “full of compromises.”

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“This was a very challenging budget negotiation, mainly because of the $1 billion deficit that we had to ensure to address,” Anthony said. “But being able to do so without reducing any benefits for folks who are receiving Medicaid or food assistance is probably the proudest thing … that comes out of this process.”

The Legislature convened throughout the night Thursday into Friday morning, when the state Capitol would normally have been closed for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Under state law, the Republican-led House and Democratic-led Senate are supposed to approve a new budget by July 1 each year. The first of the funding bills wasn’t unveiled this week until about 3:13 a.m. Friday morning, two days after the deadline.

Lawmakers would likely have a few hours to read the bills before the final votes, which were expected later Friday.

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On Thursday afternoon, Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, said Senate Republicans had no information about what was in the budget blueprint. He labeled the process playing out in the Legislature “nonsense.”

Likewise, Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake Township, said lawmakers had about 30 to 40 minutes between being briefed on the budget and when they had to vote on it.

“We have no idea what’s in these bills,” Runestad said.

In February, Jen Flood, Whitmer’s budget director, said the state was facing a $1.8 billion financial gap. Health care costs had jumped, the Legislature had dedicated more tax dollars to roads, and the federal government, led by Republican President Donald Trump, had forced states to pay for a larger share of costs associated with food assistance for low-income families.

Whitmer initially proposed an $88.1 budget for next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. She sought a bevy of new taxes on smokers, gamblers and digital advertising. Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, refused to go along with the tax hikes.

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The new budget will be somewhat close to the current budget in overall amount of approximately $84 million.

Hall and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, had been working for weeks to create the new funding plan. Hall announced a final deal had been reached Thursday.

The ultimate agreement involved dozens of other bills that were tied to the budget’s approval, including a long-sought measure by some Democrats that would double the cap on the state’s transformational brownfield program, which allows businesses behind large developments to keep income tax and sales withholdings resulting from their projects, from $1.6 billion to $3.2 billion. 

The incentive is expected to be used to spur the redevelopment of Detroit’s riverfront Renaissance Center. The Senate approved the brownfield bill in December. The House voted 82-26 in favor of it early Friday.

The Senate also took up early Friday a House-backed proposal to ban former lawmakers from being paid to lobby for two years after leaving office. The bill passed in a vote of 29-7.

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How will schools be funded?

Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Trenton, acknowledged lawmakers were shifting a larger amount of School Aid Fund money, which would normally go to K-12 schools, toward higher education and community colleges.

The number appeared to rise from about $1.3 billion in the current year to about $2 billion in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, setting a new record. Whitmer had proposed using $1.7 billion from the School Aid Fund to support the operations of universities and community colleges.

The moves effectively free up money in the General Fund, where tax dollars are currently tight, for other needs.

“It’s too much,” Camilleri said of the shifts. “But we’re dealing with a divided Legislature with different priorities, and we all needed to fill the budget gap.”

Robert McCann, executive director of the K-12 Alliance of Michigan, blasted the approach lawmakers took.

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“Nothing in this budget justifies it once again being done late,” McCann said. “There is little in it focused on supporting Michigan’s schools, even as it raids nearly $2 billion from the School Aid Fund to pay for data centers and corporate tax handouts.”

The K-12 budget went down from $21.3 billion to $19.8 billion, a 7 percent drop in federal funds on paper.

But the plan appears to allow the federal funds not included in the tally to be spent, so it wasn’t clear how much total spending there would actually be under the legislation.

Lawmakers are increasing the base per-pupil foundation allowance for schools by about 2.5% from $10,050 to $10,300. They are also investing $50 million in high-impact tutoring and instituting a long-term plan for a so-called weighted funding formula, which would tie extra support to economically disadvantaged students and students who are learning English.

House Appropriations Chairwoman Ann Bollin, R-Brighton, touted the weighted funding formula, which will be phased in over the next 15 years.

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“This is a transformational school budget, where we are making record investments,” Bollin said.

For Michigan’s public universities, overall funding increased by 12% from $2.3 billion to $2.6 billion, with more money for operations and scholarships.

What were the cuts and projects?

Lawmakers’ final plan also cut $8 million in funding for the Pure Michigan tourism campaign, which received $17 million in support in the current year. The Office of Global Michigan got $500,000 less, dropping its total to about $41.4 million. And the arts and culture program got $685,200 less, dropping its total to $8 million.

Among state departments, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy saw the largest percentage drop in funding of 31%, going from $967 million to $671 million. The decrease was largely due to the reduction of money for a federal sewage and stormwater program.

Lawmakers did provide $125 million for special projects around the state.

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There was $3 million for the Schoenherr Road Bridge Reconstruction in Shelby Township, $1.4 million for the Rochester Community House expansion and renovation, $3.7 million for water main replacements in Utica and $2 million for a fire station project in Waterford Township, according to the spending plan.

cmauger@detroitnews.com



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