Vice President Harris made an appeal to Michigan workers on her three-stop swing across the critical battleground on Monday, trying to appease to voters in the so-called blue wall just about a week out from Election Day.
Harris began her tour at a factory and training facilities in Saginaw in an effort to reach out to the key voting bloc that is considered essential to winning the White House in November.
On that stop, she met with workers and toured Corning Incorporated’s Hemlock Semiconductor facility alongside Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) and Corning Chairman and CEO Wendell Weeks.
She also endorsed the idea of not requiring a college degree for workers in high skilled jobs.
“We need to get in front of this idea that high skilled jobs require a college degree. It’s just not true,” she said, adding that if elected, reiterating that she also wants to look at what types of federal jobs might also apply a no degree requirement.
Harris also took the opportunity to criticize former President Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, for his criticism of the the CHIPs and Science Act, one of President Biden’s top legislative accomplishments that aims to compete with China through semiconductor manufacturing.
Trump, during an appearance with Joe Rogan on Friday called the bill "bad," arguing instead in favor of tariffs. Harris, in turn on Monday, criticized Trump's time in the White House.
“When he was president, he sold advanced chips to China that helped them with their agenda to modernize their military,” Harris said about Trump. “That's not about what's in the best interest of America's security and prosperity, which should be two of the highest priorities for President in the United States.”
Harris has struggled with unionized blue-collar workers, who are essential to winning swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. Union workers shifted towards Democrats in 2020 after resonating with former President Trump’s anti-China rhetoric in 2016.
Trump and Harris are neck-and-neck in Michigan, with Trump polling slightly ahead at 48.2 percent and Harris at 47.9 percent.
