Steve Scanlon chillt in his van’s side door, where he sells Trump fan merchandise. T-shirts for ten dollars, magnets for five dollars. The popular designs include Donald Trump’s police photo after being charged with election fraud in Georgia, as well as his raised fist after the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. Scanlon himself rocks the classic MAGA people symbol, the red cap with „Make America Great Again“. And he thinks America’s return to its former glory is going great.
The first hundred days of the presidency were „obviously“ fantastic, says Scanlon. He has already voted for Trump three times. For the man from Connecticut, the border was the most important issue, and now it’s closed. He says, „You just have to look at the numbers.“ According to the American Border Patrol, there were 7,100 illegal crossings at the Mexico border in March. Under President Joe Biden, there were sometimes more than 200,000, even though the numbers had significantly decreased last year.
Scanlon will only watch Trump’s speech on the huge screen in front of the entrance to Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan on that day. „I’ve heard him too many times,“ he says, laughing. He has been following the Republican with his fan merchandise for nine years. When Trump doesn’t have an event, the dealer sells jerseys at sporting events.
Trump fan merchandise dealer Steve Scanlon
Sofia Dreisbach
Trump’s messages are rehearsed
The president arrives on stage unusually punctually at the rally on Tuesday night. During the campaign, he sometimes made his supporters wait for hours. But the messages are rehearsed. The previous government orchestrated a „mass invasion“ at the border, Trump shouts to the crowd. But that’s over now: Border crossings have dropped by „99.999 percent“ in his first hundred days. The audience cheers. Trump continues. Screens show footage of alleged gang members deported to El Salvador: masked men pull men with their hands and feet tied out of airplanes, lift up T-shirts to show tattoos, and shave their heads. Dramatic music plays in the background. The visitors in Warren film the moment and sway to the beat. Afterwards, they break out into chants of „USA“.
Strict rules apply in the event hall. Personal signs are prohibited, and posters praising the president were distributed in advance. However, some demonstrators have gathered outside the door, criticizing Trump’s attack on the rule of law. David Dempsey thinks it’s nonsense. The president just doesn’t do things by halves, he says, „he tackles things.“ In his view, illegal immigrants do not have „the right to a fair trial like us because they are not American citizens.“ And if judges exceed the limits of the constitution, then one must override their decisions.
25% tariffs on imported car parts lifted
Dempsey was in prison until January this year. It was one of the longest sentences after the Capitol riot: twenty years for hitting police officers with metal rods in Congress. But thanks to Trump, it was only three in the end. As his first act in office, the president pardoned almost all the rioters in January. For Dempsey, the rally in Michigan is the first since January 6, 2021. He says, „I’m so happy to be here today.“ On his right forearm, he has a skull tattoo with Trump’s hairstyle. Above it, in reference to the failed assassination attempt: „Missed the target, bastard.“ Below it: „Ultra MAGA“.
Tattoos of Trump supporter David Dempsey
Sofia Dreisbach
Dempsey claims it was the police who attacked protesters on January 6. „Where was my fair trial when I stood trial? I was born in America, and they violated my civil rights, my human rights, my dignity.“ President Trump calls the rioters „hostages“ again in his speech that day. He says that one must not allow a „handful of communist judges“ to take away the president’s power. He hopes the Supreme Court will finally clarify this.
Before Trump traveled to the center of the American auto industry, he lifted the 25% tariffs on car parts imported to America with an order in the morning. In Warren, which is half an hour away from Detroit, he immediately calls out, „everyone“ wants to come back „and build cars in Michigan.“ All countries are lining up to negotiate with him. The Democrats, on the other hand, have „destroyed Detroit in favor of Beijing“. Later, he calls an auto industry worker onto the stage who had also spoken at the White House at the beginning of the tariffs. The man praises him lavishly and ends with the sentence: He also has to say this in front of all these people, „I love you.“
Approval ratings are historically low
In recent polls, things sound different. Trump’s approval ratings are the lowest in decades for a president who has just taken office. In a survey by CNN, the rating was only 41 percent, and only 35 percent for the tariff policy. Roman Gaskey thinks the introduction of tariffs was poorly communicated from Washington. The message was not clear: are the tariffs supposed to create jobs or serve as a bargaining chip to make better deals? „They want both, but I think you have to choose one option,“ he says. So many don’t know what to make of it.
Gaskey is 22 years old and voted for the first time last November. He says he is a convinced Republican. After graduating in mathematics and data science, he plans to run for parliament in Michigan soon. „I’m absolutely for making America great again,“ says the young man. Only he finds it wrong that these days, you can hardly criticize Trump’s decisions anymore. He is a lone case here in Warren. Many brush off economic concerns: it will all work out in the end. And it’s only been a hundred days.
Student Roman Gaskey and his mother
Sofia Dreisbach
„Transgender madness“ and „old man“ Biden
In his one-and-a-half-hour speech, Trump touches on all topics as usual: he rants about the „transgender madness“ he has ended, the Democratic waste in Washington that he has uncovered, the fake media that deliberately portray him in a bad light. He also spends many minutes making fun of his predecessor Joe Biden. The audience roars with laughter at his story about the „old man“ who allegedly fell asleep immediately at the beach. At this point, Trump mentions Ukraine only once: unlike Biden, he never falls asleep right away, but ponders things like the end of the Ukraine war. Foreign policy plays no role in Trump’s victory speech for a hundred days in office; only China is mentioned multiple times in connection with the tariffs.
Former Democrat Kimberly
Sofia Dreisbach
After the first half hour in Warren, the first viewers leave. But that’s not an option for Kimberly. Tears well up in her eyes as she tells that she is seeing Trump with her own eyes for the first time today. The 66-year-old woman is from the area and produces interiors and spare parts for Chrysler. Until 2016, Kimberly was a Democrat, voted twice for Barack Obama. Then „Hillary“ happened, as she says. Since then, she has been voting for Trump. Kimberly says she doesn’t recognize the Democrats anymore. „They throw insults and set Teslas on fire,“ she says. Trump also rants, but „not so disrespectful“. During his speech that evening, the president lets the audience vote with cheers on whether they should call Biden „Sleepy Joe“ or „Corrupt Joe“.
Kimberly doesn’t care in the end. She says politicians have made false promises to her her whole life. „But Trump has accomplished more in a hundred days than Joe Biden in four years.“ She has never agreed with a president on so many things. For that, Kimberly is willing to accept the „whole package“. She just thinks Trump was a bit premature about the end of the Ukraine war. Kimberly has Ukrainian friends and Russian and Polish roots, so the issue is important to her. But she still hopes. „We still have three years.“
