Donald Trump's Michigan rally celebrating the 100th day of his second term wasn't a campaign rally, but it resembled one in many ways. He spoke for almost an hour and a half, falsely claimed to have won the 2020 presidential election, danced to "YMCA," and acknowledged the regulars that have shown up to his rallies for years.
"I miss you guys," he said to the Front Row Joes, one group of Trump faithful. "I miss the campaign."
While the Tuesday night rally had been billed as a way to celebrate his 100-day record, it served many more purposes. Trump also used his time on stage to luxuriate in the crowd's adoration, blame Joe Biden for various national problems, and insist that he, as president, is not getting the credit he deserves for his accomplishments.
Among the policies Trump celebrated was his deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador — a move that courts have challenged. In recent days, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked new deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, the law the Trump administration has used to deport more than 200 people to El Salvador.
"Now the courts are trying to say that, you know, that doesn't matter. I don't think it's going to be allowed to stand," he said. "We are delivering mass deportation, and it's happening very fast. And the worst of the worst are being sent to a no-nonsense prison in El Salvador."
He then presented a video of prisoners being flown to El Salvador and treated roughly — having their heads shaved and being marched, bent-over, into prison cells — while the crowd cheered.
Defending tariffs, criticizing the press
Trump boasted about his tariff policy, which has worried economists and consumers alike, raising recession fears. Trump casts tariffs, however, as a way to punish countries he feels have been unfair to the U.S.
"We've been abused by friend and foe, and in many cases, friend has abused us more so than foe on trade," he told the crowd. "So I want to just let you know you're going to be very proud of this country very soon, and with my China tariffs, we're ending the greatest job theft in the history of the world."
While Trump's tariff policy has been aggressive, including 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, his trade policy also changes frequently. On Tuesday, Trump signed executive actions to ease the tariff burden on automakers who assemble cars in the U.S.
"Somebody would say, 'Oh, well, that's a change.' It's called a little flexibility," Trump said, before adding a threatening note about companies that don't eventually build in the United States: "We give them a little time before we slaughter them if they don't do this, right?"
Trump took time to condemn the news media, as he often did on the campaign trail, and reserved some criticism for pollsters.
Many polls have shown Trump's approval rating to be dropping since he took office. A new NPR/PBS News/Marist survey, for example, has his overall approval rating down to 42%.
Trump without evidence decried these as "fake polls."
"They say Trump only has a 44% approval rating," he said. "Well, that's actually not bad. But when you figure that if it were a legit poll, it would be in the 60s or 70s, is – these people are a bunch of crooked people."
Trump also took aim at Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whom he has criticized in recent weeks for not boosting the economy by lowering interest rates, scaring markets.
"You're not supposed to criticize the Fed. You're supposed to let him do his own thing. But I know much more than he does about interest rates," Trump said.
In one more callback to the 2024 campaign, Trump again and again returned to criticizing former President Biden. Trump told the crowd that Biden had caused high inflation, allowed undocumented criminals into the U.S. and allowed unfair trade deals.
Trump even informally polled the crowd on how best to insult Biden.
"What's better? Crooked Joe or Sleepy Joe?" he said.
Calls for a third term
Adding to the campaign-rally feel was the fact that some in the crowd wanted the two-term president to run again — something the Constitution does not allow.
"They used to say — the fake news — 'To be a great president, you have to serve two terms,'" Trump told the crowd at one point. "So now we're going to serve two terms."
The crowd responded with shouts of "Three!", with some holding up three fingers. Trump smiled as the cheers continued.
Later, he invited communications aide Margo Martin to take the stage, where she said one sentence: "Trump 2028, anybody?" The crowd erupted in cheers.
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