NOVI, Mich. — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump demanded an end to the political influence of special interests and media lies before thousands at a rally last week.
“Our campaign is taking on big business,” Trump said to the supporters who had stood in line waiting for hours in the rain. “We’re taking on big media. And it’s not pretty.”
Attempting to win Michigan’s 16 battleground electoral votes, Trump, during his fifth visit to the Great Lakes State since the Republican National Committee convention in July, encouraged backers to vote Nov. 8. Trump portrayed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as a Washington, D.C., “insider,” bought out by special interest groups to support policies that lose American jobs. Clinton leads Trump by 5 percent in Michigan, according to a Sept. 28 poll of likely voters by Fox 2 Detroit and Mitchell Research and Communications.
Trump criticized Clinton for accepting million-dollar donations from corporations and funds for the Clinton Foundation from foreign countries while serving as secretary of state for President Barack Obama.
“If she gets the chance, she will put the Oval Office up for sale,” Trump said. “The large corporations, who support terrible trade deals that ship your jobs overseas, they’re donating to Hillary Clinton. Follow the money.”
Special interest groups, Trump said, have encouraged deals that led to the loss of manufacturing jobs in America. He specifically condemned the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an agreement that Hillary Clinton praised while in the Obama administration though now says she would veto.
“It used to be you made the cars in Flint, and you couldn’t drink the water in Mexico,” Trump said. “Today, the cars are made in Mexico, and you can’t drink the water in Flint.”
Meanwhile, outside, a small group of people protested Trump’s speech.
“I am very political, and I have never been so appalled,” said Susan Matthews, 62, of Wolverine Lake. “A corpocracy is certainly how this country is run now.”
But inside, rally attendees — wearing “Make America Great Again” hats, carrying Trump signs and flags, and chanting “USA! USA!” — said Trump’s message resonated with them.
“He spoke on what is near to my heart,” said James Czellar, 51, of Redford Township, who was laid off from the automotive industry. “For me, the racism and crap, the whole thing is a sham. The media needs to let people think for themselves.”
Dominic Jakabowski, 16, said even though he can’t vote, he convinced his family and friends to attend the rally.
“I like that Donald Trump speaks the truth, speaks his mind,” he said. “That’s what we need in Washington. The unconstitutional action of Barack Obama and government officials have created the current political climate.”
While messages combating big business and media attracted many, some said Trump didn’t speak enough on another growing institution.
“He covered a lot of points and there was good crowd response,” said Gail Mahnke of Marshall. “But I think he could’ve spoken more on big government.”
Hillsdale College junior Joshua Liebhauser, who attended the rally, said he wasn’t surprised. He said the energetic speech pandered to Trump’s base.
“They’re not thinking about the good of the Constitution,” Liebhauser said. “They’re thinking about ‘How does this in practice affect me?’ He’s riling up his base, talking about issues that stir them up.”
Junior Brant Cohen, Hillsdale College Republicans president, said he would have liked to hear more about plans to limit government and policy specifics. Instead, Trump’s message reflected the passion and anger the people expressed about America’s present condition, he said.
“They were not a bunch of deplorables that I saw,” Cohen said. “They believe Trump will shake up the system and give them something better than what we currently have.”