Trump Visits Ford Plant and Defends His Tariffs, Hoping to Counter Jitters About the Economy

US President Donald Trump speaks alongside Ford executive chairman Bill Ford (2nd L), Ford CEO Jim Farley (R), Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (L) and plant manager Corey Williams as he tours Ford Motor Company’s River Rouge complex in Dearborn, Michigan, on January 13, 2026. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)

DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump is defending his tariffs, using a major economic speech in Michigan to argue that they boost domestic manufacturing despite many Americans fears about rising prices. On Tuesday, he visited the plant where Ford’s F-150 is built to highlight his policies. Trump argued that tariffs are paid by foreign nations, not U.S. consumers, despite economists’ concerns. He said he plans to unveil a new healthcare affordability framework soon. He suggested that affordability problems were created by Democrats — who countered that Trump is out of touch with economic realities affecting Americans. During his Michigan swing, Trump mostly sidestepped questions about a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

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