WARREN, Mich. — President Donald Trump described his first 100 days in the White House as a "revolution of common sense" and defended tariffs, imposed by his administration, that have unsettled the country's economy during a speech Tuesday night in Macomb County.

Trump also announced that he planned to offer "partial tariff rebates" for about two years to companies that assemble cars in the U.S. He had previously planned to impose a 25% tariff on foreign auto parts to take effect Saturday. He said the new rebates would provide a "little bit of a flexibility."

“We give them a little bit of time before we slaughter them if they don’t’ do this," Trump said, referring to his hope that tariffs will lead to manufacturers shifting their operations to the U.S.

Trump spoke for about 100 minutes Tuesday evening at Macomb Community College in suburban Detroit, where Democrats and Republicans have been busy coloring battle lines over the first 100 days of his second term.

A few thousand people appeared to be in attendance in the Macomb Sports & Expo Center for the event. But there were still dozens of empty seats in the venue, indicating that the White House expected a larger crowd.

Samantha Fabbri, 54, of Lupton walked into the venue wearing a shirt that featured an image of Trump in front of the White House and the words "daddy's home."

"I have goosebumps," Fabbri said of Trump's first 100 days. "I am proud, and I am excited, and I am thrilled to be here."

The first weeks of Trump's second term in the White House have been marked by economic tumult, a deportation campaign against immigrants who entered the country without legal authorization and a partisan concoction of praise from Republicans and criticism from Democrats.

The Republican president's campaign-style rally in Warren followed an afternoon speech by Trump at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, where he announced that the Pentagon would be sending a new fighter jet mission to the base.

Earlier Tuesday, Michigan state Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, described Trump's first 100 days as "reckless," "chaotic" and "incredibly damaging to the American economy."

"The way that he has stepped away from the needs of consumers and specifically the auto industry, the way that he has played games with tariffs have really put China in the driver's seat and given away America's leadership position in growing places like Africa and South Asia," Irwin said. "It's been a disaster for our economy and an embarrassment."

Trump's event Tuesday mirrored similar rallies he held across Michigan before the 2024 election. He repeatedly criticized Democratic former President Joe Biden, polling the crowd whether he should use the nickname "Sleepy Joe" or "Crooked Joe" for Biden.

Trump referred to U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., who is seeking to impeach him, as a "lunatic" and shouted out Republican U.S. Rep. John James, who's running for governor. But Trump didn't endorse the James campaign, as some thought he might.

Brian Pannebecker, a Macomb County resident who's led a group called Auto Workers for Trump, ranked Trump's first 100 days as an "11" on a scale of one to 10.

"He's taken a beating from corporate legacy media, which is no surprise," Pannebecker said at the rally Tuesday. "Job one in everyone's mind, I believe, was sealing the southern border.

"We were losing the country because millions of people had been flooding across over the four years of sleepy Joe Biden's administration. ... (Trump) locked down that border."

Asked about decreases in the U.S. stock market since Trump took office on Jan. 20, Pannebecker said the declines were a "temporary pause." It will take time for supply chains to be brought back to the U.S. under Trump's tariffs and for trade deals to be altered, Pannebecker said.

"That's going to take a year or two to fall into place," Pannebecker said. "But once that all happens, we're going to start seeing some tangible benefits from his trade policies."

Pannebecker spoke on stage with Trump during the event. At one point, Pannebecker told Trump, "President Trump, I love you.”

Later, in the speech, Trump returned to his original justification for waging a trade war Canada and Mexico — the influx of deadly fentanyl from China being smuggled over both borders.

“And we’re charging Mexico and Canada and China big tariffs because of the fact that they’ve allowed fentanyl to come in and poison our country. They’re paying a lot of money for that,” Trump said. “And because of that, you watch, it’s going to stop. It’s already slowing down.”

On the campaign trail last fall, Trump vowed to use tariffs on products manufactured elsewhere to persuade companies to relocate their manufacturing operations to the U.S.

The president sought 25% tariffs on auto parts and vehicles imported into the U.S. — a move that's caused uncertainty for Michigan's economy, which relies heavily on the auto industry. The 25% tariff on vehicles has already taken effect.

However, on Monday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Trump had brokered a deal to soften auto tariffs.

"This deal is a major victory for the president’s trade policy by rewarding companies who manufacture domestically, while providing runway to manufacturers who have expressed their commitment to invest in America and expand their domestic manufacturing," Lutnick said.

However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen about 8% since Trump took office on Jan. 20.

The national unemployment rate moved from 4.0% in January to 4.2% in March. The rise of the general consumer price index, which tracks the cost of a variety of goods, has slowed during the first months of Trump's second term, but the cost of food has been increasing, according to the federal data.

Rick DeCook, 60, of St. Clair Shores, attended Trump's rally Tuesday and said he supported the Republican in the 2024 election because of his pursuit of "law and order," his focus on securing the southern border, his protection of Social Security and his plan for cheap fuel and energy.

"I would like to see it more visible and more available to my pocketbook," DeCook said of the cheap fuel and energy promise. "I haven't seen it as of yet."

DeCook contended the stock market had begun "stabilizing" after some significant drops in the initial months of Trump's second term.

State Sen. Kevin Hertel, a St. Clair Shores Democrat who represents a portion of Macomb County in the Michigan Senate, said Trump's first 100 days had produced uncertainty for Michigan residents.

"I hear that story everywhere I go in my district," Hertel said.

Hertel said he used to have 10 or 15 people attend his coffee hours. Now, he's getting more than 70 people. People are anxious about their jobs, higher costs and potential cuts to Medicaid, the federally funded health insurance program for low-income adults and children.

"I think there are some people that are willing to give him a little bit more time," Hertel said. "It has only been 100 days. But I think there is a lot of fear out there."

Democratic U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham gave Trump a failing grade for his first 100 days in office, saying the president’s policies have caused havoc for small businesses and threatened services that residents rely on from Social Security to veterans benefits.

“I don't think it's time for a rally and a celebration of the first 100 days. I think that this administration's got to continue to roll up its sleeves, to listen to people and to stop the chaos,” said Stevens, who is running for U.S. Senate in 2026.

On the other side of the aisle, state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, touted the first 100 days of Trump's second term. Nesbitt said Trump "made good on his promise to deport the violent criminals and gang members" and has worked "to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States."

"In just 100 short days since his return to the White House, it has become clear that President Trump’s leadership is good for America and for Michigan — but the best news is that better days are still ahead," said Nesbitt, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor in 2026.

The races for U.S. Senate and governor in the battleground state of Michigan in 2026 will help clarify how swing voters see Trump's first two years in office. In 2024, Trump narrowly won Michigan against Democratic then-Vice President Kamala Harris by 1.4 percentage points, 49.7%-48.3%.

Trevor Franks, a 19-year-old sheet metal worker from Kalamazoo, praised Trump on Tuesday. He began waiting in line to get into the event in Macomb County on Sunday morning, he said.

Franks acknowledged that people are upset about the president's tariffs.

"Just give it time," Franks said. "And they will work out. He inherited such a horrible mess that the last administration left. The American comeback can't happen overnight."

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(Detroit News staff writer Melissa Nann Burke contributed.)

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