Warren — Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz was back on the campaign trail Friday in Macomb County, making the case for Vice President Kamala Harris' commitment to manufacturing.

The Minnesota governor delivered an address that focused almost exclusively on manufacturing from a stage set up between machinery at the Advanced Technology Center at Macomb Community College in Warren, promising union members in the crowd that he and Harris would “have your backs.”

Walz argued former President Donald Trump was “asleep at the wheel” when China pulled ahead in the electric vehicle race and argued the federal funding slated for the electric conversion of plants like General Motors Co.'s Lansing Grand River Assembly was necessary to secure electric vehicle production in the U.S.

“Those guys, all they know about manufacturing is manufacturing bullshit every time they talk,” Walz said. “Trump has spent his life talking a big game, but he has been an absolute disaster for working people."

He criticized Trump’s plans for a tariff on Chinese goods, arguing it would raise costs for consumers. Walz instead proposed new unspecified tax credits, the elimination of unnecessary college degree requirements, an effort to “ramp up investments” in strategic industries and reward companies that allow workers to unionize.

Walz spoke for about 20 minutes. He did not take questions at the end of his address.

Trump’s campaign criticized the Minnesota governor’s remarks and argued Harris would not deliver for voters anything different than what Democratic President Joe Biden has over his term in office.

“Michiganders want leadership that is able to lower inflation, cut taxes, protect our automobile industry, and close our southern border,” said Victoria LaCivita, communications director Trump's Michigan campaign. “Kamala wasn't able to do any of this over the last three and a half years — and clearly she doesn't have any intention to do so now.”

The visit marks Walz's fourth solo visit to Michigan since he was nominated as Harris' running mate in August. His past visits have included stops in Ann Arbor, East Lansing and Grand Rapids.

Walz's speech came as the major party presidential candidates and their running mates have made manufacturing and the effect of an EV transition on the auto industry a focal point of their campaign for Michigan's 15 electoral votes in recent weeks.

The Harris-Walz campaign argued the visit was meant to underscore the jobs that the state could lose under a second Trump presidency, citing recent comments from GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance in which he wouldn't say whether a new Trump administration would honor the Biden administration's $500 million federal grant aiding a GM electric vehicle manufacturing project in Lansing.

More: Trump unveils plan to revive auto industry, takes swipe at Detroit

At the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday, Trump vowed to revisit his own 2020 trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, impose more aggressive tariffs and create large tax breaks for automakers that build factories and do research and development domestically. The former president also pledged to make interest on car loans fully tax deductible, which he suggested would help both carmakers as well as consumers dealing with high prices.

In other campaign stops, Vance and other Republicans have argued a government push toward greener vehicles — such as the Environmental Protection Agency's tailpipe emission standard — amounts to an electrification mandate, and that the transition would lead to an overall loss of jobs that would be greater than any created with the federal grant.

Democrats have countered that the state and nation have a brief window to lock down EV production in the United States or lose a new generation of auto production to China. They've denied the EPA emissions standard and federal incentives amount to a mandate for automakers to stop making gas-powered vehicles.

“Here’s my take on so many of these things: It should just be your choice,” Walz said. “We need to make that choice affordable and available to people. Nobody’s mandating anything to you.”

Friday marked Zach Lee’s first time attending a campaign event this election season.

The 30-year-old Farmington Hills resident said he’s definitely voting for Harris in November, but he wanted to learn more about Walz and his policies Friday.

Ahead of Walz’s address, Lee said he appreciates the focus on manufacturing, but hoped the candidates would speak more about a diversity of manufacturing jobs. With EV sales so far growing at a slower pace than expected, he thinks the manufacturing jobs created shouldn’t be tied just to electric.

“I think we should look at bringing more jobs back that aren’t electric,” Lee said. “Automotive is the heart of the Motor City, but if EVs aren’t selling, how many manufacturing jobs are we actually going to create?”

Macomb County is the state's third most populous county known for its automotive, mobility and defense industries, and a county that Trump has won in the past two elections.

In 2020, Trump won Macomb County over President Joe Biden by about 8 percentage points, 53%-45%; in 2016, Trump prevailed over Democrat Hillary Clinton by 12 percentage points, 54%-42%.

In 2022, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won Macomb County over Republican Tudor Dixon by 5 percentage points, 52%-47%.

John Goodwin, a Rochester resident who works at Macomb Community College, said he’s already cast his ballot for Harris and Walz. But he acknowledged Macomb County would be a tough one to win for the Democratic ticket, given its history of supporting Trump. He said Macomb County's support for Trump is a source of confusion for him, given Trump's stances on labor issues.

“I honestly can’t understand it really because it feels counter to their interests,” said Goodwin, 38.

Both Trump and Vance stopped in Michigan earlier in the week, with Vance rallying supporters Tuesday at Eastern Market in Detroit and Trump's Detroit Economic Club speech.

Staff Writer Craig Mauger contributed.

eleblanc@detroitnews.com