Tonight on the Detroit Evening Report, we cover the backlash former President Donald Trump is getting for insulting Detroit during his speech to the Detroit Economic Club Thursday; a chance to see WDET’s MichMash podcast live next week and more.

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Trump insults Detroit

Michigan officials and leaders are reacting to comments former President Donald Trump made about the city of Detroit during a campaign speech to the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday. During the event at MotorCity Casino & Hotel, Trump said that if Kamala Harris becomes president, the whole country will end up like Detroit.

“Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president. You’re going to have a mess on your hands,” the Republican presidential nominee said.

Many officials and community members took offense to the comments and responded accordingly. Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield in an Instagram post said she found it “deeply disappointing to hear these uniformed remarks. Detroit is a city of strength….of perseverance…of progress…of grit…and our community has worked so extremely hard to overcome challenges and we’ve seen incredible growth.”

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and Detroit officials are encouraging individuals and businesses to stay safe online. Cybersecurity highlights the growth of individuals and businesses to take important cybersecurity steps every day to secure your information. The city is encouraging all individuals to take the following steps to increase their protection: Use strong passwords, turn on multi-factor authentication, update software, and recognize and report fraudulent activity online.

Cider in the City 

Starting this Saturday, Oct.12 — and for the next two weekends — Cider in the City is back in Detroit’s Beacon Park. There will be fresh hot cider, pumpkins, caramel apples and other fall staples provided by Blake Farms. Visit ciderinthecity.com for more information.

MichMash Live!

Fans of WDET’s MichMash podcast will have the opportunity to see MichMash LIVE on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at Urban Beat in Lansing. The live taping, held in partnership with Gongwer News Service, is also part of WDET’s Smart Politics discussion series about the 2024 election. Come and listen to Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben from Gongwer and Cheyna Roth from WDET share their insights and interview guests about all things politics as the November election nears. Reserve your spot today at wdet.org/events.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump visited the Detroit Economic Club (DEC) on Thursday. The crowd of mostly business leaders provided a more formal setting than the former president’s usual campaign rallies.

Trump told the crowd that, if elected, he wants to make interest rates on car loans fully deductible to promote buying. Currently, that benefit only exists for certain businesses and individuals who are self-employed.

The former president also vowed to lower the corporate tax rate by 6% if he returns to office.

“Cutting it from 21% all the way down to 15%,” says Trump, “but only for those who make their product in the USA.”

During his roughly two hours on stage, Trump talked a lot about wanting to introduce new tariffs for manufacturing abroad. However, he did not offer much detail on what those numbers could look like.

Detroit remark

Trump sprinkled in a number of jabs at his political opponents throughout his speech. At one point, he took aim at the city of Detroit while criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris.

“You want to know the truth?” Trump said. “It will be like Detroit. Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president. You’re going to have a mess on your hands.”

That comment sparked backlash from a number of Michiganders, including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. He responded to Trump in a social media post, saying: “Crime is down and our population is growing. Lots of cities should be like Detroit. And we did it all without Trump’s help.”

While outside perceptions of Detroit are often fueled by memories of automotive bailouts and a 2013 bankruptcy filing, the city’s recovery over the last decade is a point of pride for many locals. Last year, violent crime fell to its lowest level since 1966 and the population rose for the first time since 1957.

In a statement to WDET, Trump’s campaign commented its stance that poverty and violent crime rates are too high in the city — adding that the auto industry isn’t what it once was.

“As President Trump emphasized in his speech, his policies will usher in a new era of economic success and stability for Detroit, helping the city reach its fullest potential,” said Victoria LaCivita, Trump’s Michigan communications director.

“This guy is calling us ugly and then asking us out on a date.”

-Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel

With the Presidential Election less than a month away, Democrats from around the state have jumped on the opportunity to defend Detroit.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called the city, “the epitome of ‘grit,’ defined by winners willing to get their hands dirty to build up their city and create their communities,” via social media.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Dana Nessel questioned the wording of Trump’s remark, posting: “This guy is calling us ugly and then asking us out on a date.”

Auto industry

Republican vice presidential pick JD Vance was recently non-committal on whether the Republican ticket would honor the $500 million in government money earmarked to help General Motors’ Lansing plant transition to electric vehicle production.

That came after Trump made remarks about revoking some of the money promised to businesses under the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act during past campaign stops. However, Trump did not mention this topic at the DEC and it remains unclear where Trump and Vance stand on GM’s Lansing factory.

Donald Trump did frequently tell the audience he wants to repeal a so-called nationwide “EV mandate.” While the Biden Administration has legislated future guidelines on tailpipe emissions, there are no federal-level laws to outright ban the sale of gas vehicles.

Read more:

• Metro Detroiters lay out the issues and candidates shaping their vote
• Vance, Republicans stress voting during Eastern Market stop in Detroit
• Harris rallies supporters in Redford Township, Flint