Vice President JD Vance is slated to make his way to Michigan tomorrow and plans to visit Bay City's Vantage Plastics, as confirmed by the White House. This marks the vice president's inaugural visit to the state since the 2024 presidential election, where President Trump triumphed over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, capturing Michigan by a narrow margin of 49.7% to 48.3%, according to CBS News Detroit.
During his time at Vantage Plastics, which provides thermoforming solutions to sectors including automotive and agriculture, Vance is expected to be accompanied by former U.S. senator and current Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler. Together, they will deliver "remarks highlighting America’s industrial resurgence," as the White House stated. The specifics of the visit, such as timing and public accessibility, however, remain undisclosed, as mentioned in a CBS News Detroit article.
The visit comes amidst a backdrop of economic debate sparked by the Trump administration's trade policies, particularly the recent escalation of a trade war with Canada over tariffs. On social media, President Trump has threatened to substantially increase tariffs on Canadian-manufactured cars entering the U.S. unless Canada abolishes "egregious, longtime tariffs." He emphasized, "Those cars can easily be made in the USA," and criticized Canada for heavily depending on U.S. military protection while contributing minimally to national security, as The Detroit News reported.
Despite a slight increase in manufacturing employment since Trump's second inauguration in January, anxieties about a potential recession have been inflamed by stock market volatility in the face of proposed tariffs on imported goods, including those from Canada. These concerns have been particularly poignant for Michigan, Minnesota, and New York, which faced retaliatory surcharges on electricity exports from Ontario, which Premier Doug Ford temporarily suspended following Trump's tariff policy revision, according to CBS News Detroit.
Vance's presence in Bay City also highlights political dynamics at the district level, where the Michigan 8th district swing seat was captured by Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet in the November elections, even as Trump and Vance won the greater area. The vice president's trip comes at a time when local Democrats have raised questions regarding Governor Gretchen Whitmer's delay in announcing a special election for a state senator to replace McDonald Rivet, now altering the balance in an evenly-split chamber, as indicated in a Detroit Free Press report.
