Trump heads to Detroit to give a speech refocusing on the American economy : NPR
President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House January 9, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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President Trump is traveling to Michigan on Tuesday hoping to refocus attention on the economy as his party faces headwinds with voters heading into the November midterm elections.
He will deliver a speech to the Detroit Economic Club and tour a vehicle manufacturing plant in Dearborn that makes F-150 trucks, the White House said.
This will be Trump’s first domestic trip since a series of international news stories – capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro; threatening military action against Iran after protests mount; threatens to seize Greenland; trying to advance the Gaza peace deal; The ongoing negotiations to end the Russian-Ukrainian war – have been the focus of the president’s concerns for weeks.
But in the United States, even the majority of the president’s supporters remain increasingly concerned about high costs and affordability. This is an issue critical to Democrats’ success in the 2025 elections in Virginia and New Jersey and one that is expected to remain at the forefront of concerns in the midterm elections later this year.
Last month, Trump’s approval rating on the economy hit a new low of 36%, according to an NPR/PBS/Marist poll. The poll shows voters feel like they are struggling to make ends meet and are most concerned about high costs.
The president addressed his economic agenda in a speech from the Oval Office in mid-December and said his administration was “making progress” in cutting costs, but “it’s not done yet.”
In recent weeks, the White House has touted lower gas prices and lower mortgage rates as economic gains. The president also announced he would discuss a more affordable housing plan during a trip to Davos, Switzerland, next week and said he intends to cap credit card interest rates at 10% for a year.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated Monday that Americans will see the benefits of tax refunds this spring, a message Trump shared in his Oval Office speech in December.
“It’s good news economically,” Leavitt told reporters.
