WALKER, Mich. — "JOBS, JOBS, JOBS," read the sign above the dais constructed on the floor the FALK Panel USA production building in Walker on Friday.
And jobs seem to be top of mind for many voters in the key rustbelt battleground of Michigan. With just over one month to go to Election Day, the issue of the economy is king.
Hoping to tap into the topic in all-important West Michigan, former President Donald Trump traveled to FALK in an address centered around the economy.
"For generations, this state was the beating heart of American industry," Trump told the crowd, making mention of the state's legacy as the birthplace of companies like General Motors, Ford, Chrysler and Dow Chemical.
But it's a legacy he believes has now been tarnished by a politically-driven downfall for the industry.
Trump later honed in on what he believes could be solutions.
"The centerpiece of my plan for a manufacturing renaissance will be a 15% made-in-America tax rate," Trump said.
"You have to manufacture the product- either you stay at 21% - which is ok, too - but if you manufacture your product here, you drop all the way down to 15% percent, making it just about as compelling as there is in the world," Trump said.
"Then, I'm imposing tariffs on your competition from foreign countries, which would come in and take your businesses as soon as you built them," he later continued.
The former president also touched on issues of immigration during his remarks.
"We will close the border," Trump declared. "We will stop the invasion. We will begin the largest deportation operation in American history, and we have no choice but to do it."
Meanwhile, the Harris campaign has continued to push back on such messaging, asserting she is the one who can and should be trusted with the economy.
Some Democrats have often pointed to things like the economic fallout spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, and what they view as the poor containment of the virus from Trump administration that led to its spread and economic consequences.
But despite attempts at counter-messaging, many polls have suggested that Trump continues to hold a slight edge on whom voters believe would to do a better job at handling the economy as president.
The Michigan Democratic Party chair reacting pre-emptively to Trump's visit.
"At the end of the day, Trump will always serve himself and his interests, no matter how it affects anyone else," Chair Lavora Barnes said in her statement. "Thankfully, Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are champions for the middle class who will take on bad actors gouging Michiganders and continue to bring back the jobs that Trump lost. Michiganders know the difference, and this November, I am confident that they will once again send Trump packing."
Some polls, however, have also suggested that the gap between whom voters would trust on the issue may be narrowing.
As such, campaigns are kicking seemingly into high gear to take command of the issue with less than 40 days to go until the votes are counted.