Also giving speeches were U.S. Senate candidate Elissa Slotkin, U.S. House candidate Curtis Hertel, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and UAW Local 652 President Ben Frantz. Frantz, who grew up economically disadvantaged and went on to become president of this union, called his own life experience living proof of what collective bargaining can achieve.

Harris began her remarks with a promise to invest in American manufacturing, saying the steel, iron and auto industries are essential for America winning the "competition for the 21st century." Communities like Lansing, Harris said, will be instrumental for the next generation of breakthroughs in electric vehicle manufacturing.

This comment comes as the Harris campaign seeks to highlight her role in passing the Inflation Reduction Act — which would provide $500 million to retool a General Motors plant in Lansing for electric vehicles — and contrast it with JD Vance’s comments calling the deal "table scraps."

Additionally, Harris promised to do a "critical assessment of federal jobs" to alter degree requirements and open job opportunities to those without a college education. Skill and experience, Harris said, should be the determinants of a worker’s ability, not an arbitrary degree.

Throughout the campaign, Harris has sought to define herself as belonging to the middle class to contrast with Trump, who was born into wealth. Tonight was no different. In particular, Harris argued that Trump has never "had to work a job that came with calloused hands" and has no respect for what auto workers do. 

To emphasize this point, Harris directed the audience’s attention to video screens that played a clip of Trump saying "we could have our child do it" in reference to the assembly of foreign cars in the U.S.

"He will never understand the life and the work of the United Auto Workers," Harris said in response to the clip. "He will never understand that people will work hard for everything they have, who take great pride in a job well done, who understand what it represents to their family and the future of their family."

Harris also touched on the importance of protecting workers’ pension to guarantee they can retire with dignity. She touted the fact that, as Vice President, she voted for the American Rescue Plan that preserved more than 1 million workers and retirees’ pensions and, just yesterday, injected $635 million into a metro Detroit union pension fund.

"This is not about a giveaway," Harris said. "You earned it, and it must be protected and it must be respected after decades of hard work that you receive it. Honoring these benefits must be an ironclad commitment."

As Harris’ speech neared its end, a group of about 20 protestors gathered outside the main entrance to the UAW Local 652 building. Standing a few feet away from secret service personnel, the protestors delivered various chants criticizing Harris for her vague stance on the Israel-Palestine war.

"Harris, Harris you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide," the protestors chanted. "One, two, three, four, we don’t want your bloody war."

It’s likely that Harris did not hear or see the protestors, however, as she departed in the motorcade from the opposite side of the building. 

She will hold a rally in Oakland County later tonight, only a few hours after Trump held his own event in Auburn Hills and Hamtramck. 

After the rally, Harris will head to Detroit Saturday morning for the city’s first day of early voting. In East Lansing, early voting will begin Monday, Oct. 21, with the only location on MSU's campus being Room 195-A in the Communication Arts & Sciences building.