President Donald Trump celebrated his first 100 days in office with a trip back to one of the critical swing states that helped spur his decisive victory in the 2024 election.
As reported on Wednesday’s AM Update, the commander in chief held several events in Michigan on Tuesday, including a campaign-style rally in Warren to end the day. “We’ve just gotten started,” Trump told the crowd. “You haven’t even seen anything yet. It’s all just kicking in.”
The Headlines
But the rally was not the only part of the day that made headlines. Trump was addressing service members at Selfridge Air National Guard Base northeast of Detroit Tuesday afternoon when he unexpectedly called for Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to join him on stage.
The moment came just weeks after her viral Oval Office visit during which she tried to shield her face from the cameras with a binder. “I want to thank Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer,” the president began. “You know, I’m not supposed to do that. She’s a Democrat. They say, ‘Don’t do that, don’t have her here.’ I said, ‘No, she’s going to be here… she’s done a very good job.’”
He also shed some light on what she was doing at the White House. “For decades, they’ve been trying to save this facility, including your governor, who has done a very good job,” Trump added. “She came to see me. That’s the reason she came to see me, by the way, to save Selfridge. She was very effective.”
Whitmer, for her part, kept her surprise remarks brief. “Well, I hadn’t planned to speak,” she said, “but on behalf of all the military men and women who serve our country — and serve so honorably on behalf of the state of Michigan — I am really damn happy we’re here to celebrate this recapitalization.”
Notably, traveling with the president was embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has faced a media onslaught in recent weeks trying to paint a portrait of a Pentagon in chaos. Trump has repeatedly brushed off criticism, insisting the secretary is the man for the job. Hegseth’s presence seemed to further illustrate the support.
Celebrating 100 Days
During the evening rally, Trump ticked through the accomplishments of what he called the most successful 100 days of any administration in history. “This is the best, they say, 100 day start of any president in history, and everyone is saying it,” he noted.
On Immigration: Trump touted his administration’s success driving down illegal border crossings. “The last administration engineered a massive border invasion, allowing gangs, cartels, and terrorists to infiltrate our communities and rape and murder our citizens. And… that’s actually being nice about it. They are the worst,” he said. “But standing before you today, I can proudly report that this heinous betrayal is over and that we have achieved the most secure border in American history.”
The president said illegal entries are at record lows, but he acknowledged the legal challenges aimed at blocking his mass deportation efforts. “We cannot allow a handful of communist, radical left judges to obstruct the enforcement of our laws and assume the duties that belong solely to the president of the United States,” Trump said. “Judges are trying to take away the power given to the president.”
On Tariffs: The president made the case for his controversial tariff strategy and offered an update on the ongoing negotiations with dozens of countries. “They’re coming from all over the world to see your president. They want to make a deal,” Trump explained. “And you know, we’ll make deals, but we don’t have to. We are the ones that have the product… They want a piece of our product. We can just set the price… And remember this, we were losing $5 billion a day on trade, and now we’re making money.”
On Energy: Trump also highlighted falling oil and gas prices, which he attributed to his day one declaration of an energy emergency. “So, gasoline prices are down by a lot. Energy prices are down,” he noted. “Gasoline was almost $4 not so long ago. And now… we just hit $1.98 in a lot of states.”
On DOGE: The president praised efforts by what he called the “very successful” Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash federal spending and tamp down on waste, fraud, and abuse in the government. “We terminated the left-wing money laundering scam, known as USAID, and we directed all federal workers to return to the office in person or, unfortunately, they’re fired,” Trump said. “I withdrew from the unfair and ridiculous Paris Climate Accord, where we were paying trillions of dollars. We would have spent numbers like you wouldn’t believe.”
He also gave a shout out to Elon Musk, who will soon be stepping back from his work with the agency after backlash against Tesla. “He’s an amazing guy, and he’s a great American, and he loves our country, loves you,” Trump shared. “And he’s paid a big price to help. But I have a feeling it’s going to end up being good for him, actually. I really do.”
On Education: The commander in chief also pointed to his executive order kicking off the process of abolishing the federal Department of Education, which is something he campaigned on. “Last month, they signed a historic executive order to begin the process of eliminating the federal Department of Education and send education back to… our states to run,” Trump said. “I mean, how the hell bad can we do? We’re like in last place. [Education Secretary] Linda McMahon, by the way, is doing a phenomenal job.”
After marking his early victories, Trump ended the nearly two-hour speech by thanking his supporters for their “help, love, and support” and setting the stage for what’s next. “Together we will make America powerful again: “We will make America wealthy again. We will make America healthy again. We will make America strong again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And we will make America great again.”
You can get all the day’s headlines by tuning into the AM Update with Megyn Kelly on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch AM Update live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays at 8:45am ET.