By Paul Rozycki
With all the executive orders, reversals and delays of those orders, court rulings, and appeals of those court rulings, it’s increasingly difficult to gauge the impact of President Trump’s first 100 days.
There are already over 100 lawsuits aimed at blocking the president’s executive orders, and the turmoil they’ve levied on the national and international level is increasing doubts over the United States’ global role and threatening democracy itself.
But for those of us in Michigan there is also much to worry about locally – and much to be resolved in the weeks and months to come.
Though the list grows and changes daily, here are some of the concerns that Michigan and Genesee County may have about the Trump administration’s attacks on the federal government.
Tariffs
Trumps on again, off again (and on again) tariffs with Canada and Mexico will almost certainly have a dramatic impact on the Michigan auto industry.
With auto parts being shipped back and forth during the manufacturing process most economists expect that the proposed 25% tariff on trade with Canada and Mexico will increase the cost of automobiles and slow the economy.
Some project the tariffs could raise the cost of a vehicle between $8,000 to $12,000, leading to a loss of jobs in the auto industry. However, United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain expressed the hope that tariffs will bring back lost jobs to Michigan in a recent USA Today interview.
The tariffs’ impact also goes well beyond the auto industry.
The increase in tariffs on aluminum and steel will increase the cost of business for any industry that uses those products, from beer brewers to those who erect billboards. In an interview with NBC 25, Daniel Crannie, owner of Flint’s Signs by Crannie, said, “It’s definitely going to impact us because most of our products are built from aluminum and steel.”
Tariffs on Canadian lumber are also likely to increase the cost of homebuilding and construction in the state.
Michigan Farmers
Michigan farmers, who generally voted for Trump, have a growing concern over the impact of Trump’s tariffs and a trade war on their ability to sell their products outside the U.S.
The cancellation of the USAID program, which provided food to underserved nations, saw over $900 million of U.S. food products left undelivered and sitting in ports and warehouses.
As reported by MLive.com, in west Michigan, about 32 truckloads comprising roughly 600,000 pounds of food designated for Feeding America, have been cancelled by the Department of Agriculture. They were part of the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program.
Further, immigration limits are mounting worries about finding seasonal agricultural workers both here in Michigan and across the country.
Education
With Trump’s move to eliminate the Department of Education, there is increasing concern for K-12 to higher education in Michigan.
State education officials estimate that as much as $2.27 billion could be at risk for Michigan schools. That would include major funding for school meal programs, economically disadvantaged students, and special education programs. Cuts in these areas would have a major impact in the Flint school system, which serves many students who fall into or utilize these categories. Michigan also receives federal funds for Head Start programs and Pell Grants.
There are claims that some of these programs would be protected or shifted to other departments, but the details and prospects of that remain very unclear.
Libraries
Trump’s little-publicized decision to eliminate the Institute for Museum and Library Services threatens to cut $8 million from the budget and limit the services of libraries and museums across the state.
The funds support some of the largest libraries and museums in Michigan, such as the University of Michigan Library and the Henry Ford Museum, but they also support small local museums and libraries.
Particularly at risk is the Michigan Electronic Library, which allows students online access to resources.
DEI
With the Trump administration’s attack on all forms of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, including eliminating photos of the WWII bomber Enola Gay, baseball legend Jackie Robinson, and the first female fighter pilot from government websites, schools are in a quandary about what is or isn’t allowable under the new federal rules. At risk are large amounts of federal funds that go to support higher education in Flint and Genesee County.
In a recent Board of Trustees meeting, Mott Community College interim President Shaunda Richardson-Snell said the college is “taking a cautious, wait-and-see approach,” while trying to make sure they don’t discriminate and protect federal funding as cases surrounding the measure work their way up the court system.
As reported by ABC 12, in response to national pressure, the University of Michigan has closed its DEI offices and shut down its DEI Strategic Plan. The university’s alumni association also recently ended a scholarship program aimed at recruiting more minority and underserved students; the LEAD program (leadership, excellence, achievement and diversity) has also ended; and the university removed diversity requirements in its hiring, promotion, and tenure practices.
In a response to the limits on DEI, the Genesee County Board of Commissioners is considering an “Equity in All Policies” proposal that would preserve many of the elements of DEI in the county government.
Immigration
According to the Migration Policy Institute, Michigan has as many as 91,000 undocumented individuals. The state also has about 16,000 children that were born to at least one undocumented parent and 4,000 undocumented children enrolled in school.
Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship could threaten all of those individuals.
Recently, the threat of losing federal funds over immigration policy proved a factor in the Mayor of Bay City vetoing a “Welcoming Community” resolution passed by the city council, as reported by ABC 12. A similar resolution was also voted down by the Saginaw City Council out of fear of federal funding loss.
Response and hope for the future
As worrisome and dismal as all these possibilities sound, there is still some room for hope.
More than a few judges, even those appointed by Trump and other Republicans, have been willing to take action to block or delay some of Trump’s executive orders. Whatever their views on the president or their partisan leanings, at least some judges still seem to support the idea of three branches of government and checks and balances between them.
Further, while the Democratic Party leadership has been scrambling to find a coherent response to the Trump onslaught, there are signs that opposition to Trump’s actions is finding a voice.
In recent rallies, Senator Bernie Sanders, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in the past, has garnered huge crowds opposed to Trump’s policies. In Denver he and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), drew more than 30,000 to their rally on March 21.
Earlier, on a cold day in Warren, Michigan, Sanders drew more than 9,000 to hear him address the government as “oligarchs and billionaires” in what he calls his “Fighting the Oligarchy Tour,” as reported in the Macomb Daily.
The potential of Sanders’ movement reminded me of a conversation I had with one Trump voter a few years ago. While he said he was a supporter of Trump, he said his second choices were Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Perhaps that means Sanders’ movement may pull at least a few supporters from the Trump camp, and Trump’s populist supporters who resent the “elites” may have second thoughts as he recruits Elon Musk and other billionaires to his administration. If nothing else, maybe some Republican members of Congress will find a backbone as they face a growing number of angry crowds calling them out at town-hall meetings.
But, in the end, it will take more than just large rallies and angry speeches to stop the Trump attack on democracy.
Trump may be the carnival barker at the front of his movement, but there are well-organized groups such as the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation working for Project 2025 and similar goals. It will take an equally well-organized and dedicated group to work to block the worst of Trump’s impact.
In 2016, Michigan voted for Trump. In 2020, it supported Biden. In the 2024 election Michigan voters gave Trump his closest margin of victory in the nation. As a key battleground state, Michigan could become the center of resistance to Trump. In fact, it seems critical for Flint, for Michigan, and for the nation.
This article also appears in East Village Magazine’s April 2025 issue.
