Trump insults Detroit during his speech… in Detroit | US elections 2024

Donald Trump attacked the city of Detroit in a speech he gave in Detroit during his campaign.

The former US president and Republican candidate spoke on Thursday at the Detroit Economic Club in the city, Michigan's largest city – one of the key swing states in the 2024 US elections.

But Trump, whose speeches often consist of rambling and lengthy discourses rather than isolated pieces, couldn't help but sharply denounce the city in which he spoke, pointing to Detroit's recent history of economic decline since its heyday as the home of American automobile manufacturing .

When talking about China being a developing country, Trump said, “Well, we're a developing country too, just look at Detroit. “Detroit, more than most places in China, is a developing country.”

He later returned to the topic, warning of economic disaster if his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris wins the November election.

“Our entire country will end up like Detroit if she is your president. “You’re going to have a mess on your hands,” Trump said.

Polls in Michigan show Harris and Trump still playing catch-up in a very close race.

Democrats in the state reacted angrily to the insults and saw it as an opportunity to score political points.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wrote on Twitter/X: “Detroit is the epitome of 'determination,' defined by winners who are willing to get their hands dirty to build their city and plant their communities – something that Donald Trump could never understand.” So keep Detroit out of your mouth. And you can bet that Detroiters won’t forget that come November.”

Detroit struggled with the decline of American manufacturing. A little more than a decade ago, the city became the largest municipality in the country to declare bankruptcy.

But Detroit has also been touted as a symbol of an American post-industrial city on the rise, with numerous downtown revitalization projects and attempts to repair and invest in its housing stock. In May, the city reported a population increase for the first time in decades.

That sense of recovery was the theme of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's response. He wrote: “Detroit just hosted the largest NFL draft in history, the Tigers are back in the playoffs, the Lions are on their way to the Super Bowl, crime is down and our population is growing.” Many cities should be like Detroit . And we did it all without Trump’s help.”