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Trump, a Republican who is running for re-election this
November, has urged states to loosen coronavirus-related
restrictions so the economy can recover.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a potential running mate for
presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, is facing
backlash against her stay-at-home orders.
Trump threatened on Wednesday to withhold funding from the state
over its plan for expanded mail-in voting, saying without
evidence that it could lead to voter fraud. He seemed to back
away from the threat later.
Trump will travel to Ypsilanti to tour a Ford Motor Co plant
that has been recast to produce ventilators and personal
protective equipment. He will also hold a meeting with
African-American leaders to discuss vulnerable populations hit
by the virus. The president has declined to wear a mask on
similar factory tours despite guidelines for employees to do so.
Michigan is a critical presidential battleground that Trump won
narrowly in 2016, the first Republican to do since 1988. Winning
the state again is part of his campaign's strategy for victory
in November.
Trump has made only a handful of trips out of Washington since
the pandemic went into full force. They have focused on
politically important states such as Arizona and Pennsylvania
and have included campaign-style music and rhetoric despite
being official White House visits. Trump's signature political
rallies have been suspended because of the outbreak.
Trump and Ford have been at odds for nearly a year over the
automaker's decision in July 2019 to back a deal with California
for stricter fuel economy standards than his administration
proposed.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Additional reporting by David
Shepardson; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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