‘Nothing will stop me’: Trump talks tariffs, migrants, and Musk
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Trump delivers a fiery speech in Michigan, celebrating 100 days in office with mass deportation vows, court attacks, and a controversial prison video.
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President Donald Trump speaks on his first 100 days at Macomb County Community College Sports Expo Center, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Warren, Mich. (AP)
US President Donald Trump marked his 100th day in office with a campaign-style rally in Warren, Michigan, delivering a defiant speech that mixed attacks on political opponents, celebration of his policies, and warnings against judicial overreach.
From calling to annex #Greenland to using an 18-century-law to deport hundreds of alleged "gang" members, here's what #Trump did in the first 100 days of his second term as president of the #US. The man has been very busy.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 24, 2025
🧵1/3 pic.twitter.com/1mFIWpc2kg
Framing his first 100 days as "historic", Trump claimed his administration had delivered “the most profound change in Washington in nearly 100 years.” He defended controversial policies such as mass deportation efforts and the use of the Alien Enemies Act to expel "suspected terrorists", stating, “Nothing will stop me in the mission to keep America safe again.”
Trump pushes mass deportation, defends executive power
Trump lashed out at what he described as “communist radical left judges” who have blocked some of his early executive actions. He urged the Supreme Court to uphold presidential authority on immigration and national security matters. “We cannot allow a handful of communist, radical-left judges to obstruct the enforcement of our laws,” he declared.
In a dramatic moment, Trump presented a video on giant screens depicting Venezuelan migrants deported from the US and sent to a prison in El Salvador. The footage, originally posted by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, featured theatrical music and scenes of prisoners being handled by guards, ending with the message “100 days of greatness” as the crowd erupted in chants of “USA!”
The use of the Alien Enemies Act—a law dating back to 1798—was justified by Trump as a tool to protect the country quickly from foreign threats. He accused the previous administration of encouraging a “mass invasion” of migrants and vowed to continue with “mass deportation.”
US connected migrants to criminal gang based on clothing, tattoos
New court papers revealed earlier this month that the Trump administration accused migrants of belonging to criminal gangs based on their clothing or tattoos.
In the court papers submitted over the weekend, lawyers for the Venezuelan migrants produced a government document titled "Alien Enemy Validation Guide," which laid out a series of criteria that administration officials are required to meet to designate the men as members of Tren de Aragua, ensuring a comprehensive and detailed explanation of the process without concluding any thought prematurely.
Using the Alien Enemies Act, the White House recently ordered the expulsion of over 100 migrants, denying them any due process to contest the allegations.
The document outlined a scoring system to determine whether migrants were affiliated with the gang, commonly known as TdA, specifying that an individual needed at least eight points to be classified as a member. Under this system, any migrant who confessed to gang membership automatically received 10 points—immediately marking them as part of TdA and making them eligible for deportation under the Alien Enemies Act without further review.
However, the document also states that officials can assign four points to a migrant just for having "TdA-affiliated tattoos," and another four points if law enforcement determines the individual "wears clothing, symbols, or other markings associated with the gang"—effectively allowing subjective judgments to meet the threshold for deportation.
The document further allows officials to classify migrants as Tren de Aragua members based solely on wearing "high-end urban streetwear"—specifically citing Chicago Bulls merchandise or Michael Jordan apparel as grounds for suspicion.
The lawyers contested the administration's broad application of the Alien Enemies Act, arguing that officials have misapplied the law, which is intended for use only during a declared war or a foreign invasion.
At the time, Washington's Federal District Court Judge James E. Boasberg temporarily blocked the White House from using the law to deport Venezuelans, prompting the Trump administration to request the Supreme Court to pause the judge's order while it evaluates the case's legal merits.
Rally of spectacle, slogans, and political grievances
The rally also focused on Trump's trade agenda, particularly tariffs. He claimed that his policies would revive American manufacturing and pointed to Michigan’s potential gains under his economic vision, despite recent rises in the state's unemployment rate. Just hours earlier, the White House announced adjustments to soften tariffs on foreign-made auto parts.
Throughout the 89-minute address, Trump shifted between praising loyal officials and attacking perceived enemies. He repeated false claims about the 2020 election, mocked President Joe Biden’s appearance, and dismissed unfavorable polling as “fake news.”
Salute to Musk, DOGE
Trump also praised his billionaire ally, Elon Musk, and his “department of government efficiency”, or DOGE, and condemned the backlash against the Tesla and SpaceX entrepreneur.
“It’s not fair what they’ve done to him. That is a disgrace," he said.
'The Golden Age'
The venue was filled with banners reading “Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!” and “The Golden Age,” and Trump supporters held signs including “Make America Great Again” and “Trump 2028,” despite constitutional limits on presidential terms. One White House aide, Margo Martin, joined Trump on stage and asked, “Trump 2028, anybody?”—drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
Musical selections before the event included James Brown’s It’s A Man’s World and YMCA by the Village People. The rally also featured remarks from Trump allies, including White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who called Trump “the greatest president in American history.”
Democrats responded critically. Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, described the rally as a “pathetic display” and said Trump’s approval rating after 100 days was among the lowest in modern presidential history.
Read more: Most Americans view Trump as a 'dangerous dictator': Poll
Trump eases auto tariffs burden
Prior to his trip to Michigan on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump signed two new orders on Tuesday to cushion the impact of his auto tariffs by offering tax credits and relief from certain material-related levies, while his trade officials announced their first agreement with a foreign partner.
These moves slightly calmed investor concerns over Trump’s unpredictable trade approach, as the president visited Michigan—a key hub of the US auto sector—just days ahead of the implementation of a fresh 25% tariff on auto parts.
In his latest adjustment to tariff policy, Trump agreed to give car manufacturers a two-year window to increase the share of US-made parts in vehicles assembled domestically.
Under the new plan, automakers can avoid tariffs on imported components used in US-built vehicles up to a value of 3.75% of the vehicle’s Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price through April 2026, and 2.5% of total US production through April 30, 2027.
Since Trump’s initial announcement of the 25% tariffs on foreign-made vehicles and parts, the auto industry has pushed back hard, warning the policy would disrupt the closely linked North American supply chain that spans the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Trump said the decision gives automakers "a little relief" as they work to expand domestic manufacturing. "We just wanted to help them ... if they can't get parts, we didn't want to penalize them," he said before departing for Michigan.
The White House emphasized that the change would not roll back the 25% tariffs already placed on the 8 million foreign vehicles imported to the US each year.
Autos Drive America, which represents automakers such as Toyota, Volkswagen, and Hyundai, welcomed the measure as partial progress, stating that it "provided some relief 'but more must be done in order to turbocharge the U.S. auto industry.'"
