Harris campaign spotlights Trump's jab at Detroit in new ad

Craig Mauger, The Detroit News on Oct 11, 2024

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DETROIT — Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign plans to air TV commercials this weekend, spotlighting a negative remark Republican former President Donald Trump made about Detroit while speaking in the city on Thursday.

The Harris campaign crafted the ad, which features the voice of Detroit native and actor Courtney B. Vance, less than 24 hours after Trump finished his speech at the Detroit Economic Club.

The spot will air during the broadcasts of the Detroit Tigers' playoff game against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday and the Detroit Lions' game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, according to the Democratic nominee's campaign.

At one point in his remarks Thursday, Trump told the crowd at the MotorCity Casino Hotel that if Harris wins the presidency this fall "our whole country will end up being like Detroit."

"You’re going to have a mess on your hands," Trump said.

The new minute-long ad features images of Detroit and the actor Vance saying Trump doesn't "know anything" about the city's revival.

"We are a city of winners," Vance says in the commercial. "Of up-and-comers. Of builders. The Motor City, bigger and better. Here, we believe in freedom. We don't bow down to nobody, and we never will."

Vance then adds that when Trump says, "Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she's your president," Trump doesn't understand "that he should be so goddamn lucky."

Detroit is Michigan's largest city and a Democratic stronghold. In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden got 94% of the vote in Detroit against Trump. However, Republicans and Trump have been attempting to cut into Democrats' support in the city this fall.

Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, spoke at an event in Detroit's Eastern Market on Tuesday. Then, Trump visited Detroit on Thursday to address the Detroit Economic Club, where he discussed his plans for the future of the auto industry.

After his speech and negative comment about Detroit, Victoria LaCivita, the Trump campaign's Michigan spokeswoman, said Trump "remembers when Detroit was lauded as the gold standard for auto manufacturing success and revolutionized the industry."

"President Trump emphasized in his speech, his policies will usher in a new era of economic success and stability for Detroit, helping the city reach its fullest potential," LaCivita said.