(Source: MIRS.news, Published 10/08/2024) (DETROIT) – U.S. Sen. JD Vance called the $500 million U.S. Department of Energy grant that would convert the General Motors Lansing Grand River plant into an electric vehicle manufacturing site “table scraps” at a campaign event Tuesday.

Last week at an event in West Michigan, Vance didn’t make clear whether a second Trump administration would honor the grant, and today he said that neither he nor Trump ever said they wanted to take money away from Michigan or its autoworkers.

“I think that Michigan autoworkers deserve more than table scraps,” Vance said, referring to electric vehicle mandates. “If you force Americans to buy electric vehicles they don’t want that are made in China, you’re going to throw this entire state into poverty.”

Vance didn't pitch a clear policy alternative today, but he said in the next 27 days he anticipates being in Michigan six or seven more times. 

On a Harris for Michigan press call this morning, Teamsters Michigan President Kevin Moore said Vance has “no right” to say he cares about middle-class workers and union workers in Michigan. At the Eastern Market in Detroit, supporters held several lime green “Teamsters for Trump” posters. 

“It’s pretty bold of JD Vance to show up in Michigan today, given what he said last week,” U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) said during the call, referring to his previous answer on the DOE grant. 

Earlier in his remarks, Vance criticized Harris’ appearance this morning on The View, saying that for a Democrat politician, it’s the easiest interview in the world.

“If I walked onto The View, that’d be like walking into this room with an Ohio State jersey on,” Vance said. 

During her appearance on The View, Harris said she couldn’t think of anything off the top of her head that she’d do differently than Biden.

“I’m not sure if she can think of anything off the top of her head. About Joe Biden’s policies or anything else,” Vance said. 

Vance claimed that undocumented immigrants are driving up competition on the housing market and waiting times in emergency rooms. Appealing to overworked teachers, Vance alleged there are 85,000 students in Michigan public schools who are the children of undocumented immigrants.

“Think about what that does to a poor school teacher who's just trying to get by with what they have is trying to educate their kids,” Vance said, later adding “You know what Donald Trump’s message to illegal aliens is? ‘You got four months, pack your bags, because you’re going home.’”

Vance did not provide a source for the claim, and the figure could not be independently verified.

57th House district candidate Ron Robinson and 13th Congressional district candidate Martell Bivings got to speak at the podium in the pre-program, as well as U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Romeo) and Michigan Republican Party Chair Pete Hoekstra.

The campaign seems to be wary of labeling Vance’s events as “rallies,” but this particular event was open to the public. It was announced on Oct. 5, just three days before it took place. 

Vance’s first appearance as Republican vice-presidential nominee in Michigan was on July 19 with Trump headlining at Van Andel Arena. The pair filled that arena and then some, turning hopeful attendees away in Grand Rapids. 

His first headlining event in Michigan was a press conference at the Shelby Township Police Department with an intimate crowd of invited guests such as U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers and U.S. Rep. James DeSana (R-Carleton).

Since then, he’s headlined his own events to which the campaign offered general admission tickets to the public, such as his remarks today at the Eastern Market in Detroit that drew a crowd of about 500 attendees.