Biden in Michigan: 'My Approach Is Working,' 'We Stole Michigan's Uniforms' and GM's All-Electric Promise (November 29, 2022)

Three weeks after the midterms, President Joe Biden stood in a computer chip plant in Bay City, Michigan, and declared his economic plan a success. “My approach to building the economy of the future is working because of the strong support of your delegation. Our economy grew at 2.6 percent the last quarter while inflation started to slow and unemployment stayed low,” he said, according to the official White House transcript [1].

“We’ve added jobs every single month in my presidency — 10 million total new jobs, more than any other administration in history in the first 20 months,” Biden said [1].

The video above shows Biden’s Nov. 29, 2022, remarks at the SK Siltron CSS facility. Quotes are from the official White House transcript and the Conference Board [1][4].

”We Stole Michigan’s Uniforms”

He started by apologizing to the people seated behind him. “My mom is looking down from Heaven and saying, ‘Apologize to these people because you have their — you have their back to them.’ I apologize — (laughter) — because I’m going to be talking that way,” Biden said [1].

Biden opened with a confession about his college football days in Delaware. “My college football coach played at Michigan. And he — he became a — he made it to the Hall of Fame as a coach,” Biden said. “We stole Michigan’s uniforms. (Laughter.) Same exact uniforms. So that’s why the blue and gold.” [1]

He told Jeffrey, who introduced him, how much better he could have played with that kind of help. “And as I told you, if I had you running in front of me when I was playing flanker back, I could have been an All-American, man. (Laughter.) I could have been big. Could have been big,” Biden said [1].

He also turned to Rep. Elissa Slotkin. “I’m — I — I love her. I’m very careful with her because she’s former CIA. I’m really worried,” Biden said, to laughter [1].

”Around the World in 80 Days”

Biden talked up his recent trip. “I recently got back from a trip literally around the world. You know that ‘around the world in 80 days’? Well, I did in six. (Laughter.) And I started off in Egypt and ended up in Guam and coming on home,” he said [1].

He recalled waving at the chairman of SK from the White House while he was isolating after COVID exposure. “I’m up on the third floor in that balcony and waving to the chairman of SK, saying, ‘You are coming, aren’t ya?’ (Laughter.) ‘You are coming, aren’t ya?’” Biden said [1].

And he asked the crowd a question. “Think about it: Ten years ago, how many of you knew what the hell a supply chain was? (Laughter.) No, I’m serious,” Biden said [1].

”A Field of Dreams”

Biden also pointed to the chip plant planned in Ohio. “Several hundred billion dollars in a field of dreams right outside of Columbus, Ohio. Thirteen thousand employees; five thousand full-time. You don’t need a college degree for 80 percent of the jobs there, and the average salary is $126,000,” he said [1].

“Look, a record amount of money to bring chip production back home — that’s what that legislation did,” Biden said [1]. “We’re bringing other key parts of the supply chain back to — supply chain back to America as well,” he said [1].

”Go All Electric”

Biden told a story about General Motors chief Mary Barra and California’s emissions rules. “And Mary Barra, the Chairman of General Motors, was suing the state of California because they had a higher air quality standard than any other state,” he said [1].

“And we had a little talk. I’m not saying she did this because of our talk, but I asked her what was going on. And about two weeks later, she gave me a call. She said, ‘I dropped the suit against California, and I commit to you we’re going to go all electric at General Motors,’” Biden said. “Every other auto company did the same thing. They all stepped up.” [1]

“A Sense of Optimism”

Biden also said Americans were feeling better. “And because of our po- — our policies, gasoline prices are coming down. And what’s most exciting about it: People are starting to feel a sense of optimism and the impact of these legislative achievements in their own lives. It’s going to accelerate in the months ahead,” he said [1].

The same day, the Conference Board said the opposite. “The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® decreased in November after also losing ground in October. The Index now stands at 100.2 (1985=100), down from 102.2 in October,” the business group reported [4].

“Consumer confidence declined again in November, most likely prompted by the recent rise in gas prices,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “Consumers’ expectations regarding the short-term outlook remained gloomy.” [4]

“Inflation expectations increased to their highest level since July, with both gas and food prices as the main culprits,” Franco said [4].

By the Numbers

2.6 percent: quarterly growth Biden cited [1].
10 million: jobs Biden claimed in his first 20 months [1].
$50 billion: the investment Biden said SK was making in the United States [1].
6 days: Biden’s trip “around the world,” by his count [1].
100.2: the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index in November 2022, down from 102.2 [4].
3: resolutions Trump signed in 2025 blocking California’s vehicle rules [2].

What Happened Next

Trump killed California’s mandate. On June 12, 2025, President Donald Trump signed three resolutions of disapproval, including H.J. Res. 88 on California’s “Advanced Clean Cars II” rule. “These bipartisan measures prevent California’s attempt to impose a nationwide electric vehicle mandate and to regulate national fuel economy by regulating carbon emissions,” Trump said [2].

“Because of the joint resolutions I signed today, California’s Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks, and Omnibus Low NOX programs are fully and expressly preempted by the Clean Air Act and cannot be implemented,” Trump said [2].

At the signing, Trump added: “But on my first day in office, I ended the ‘green new scam’ and abolished the EV mandate at the Federal level—we abolished it.” [3]

For Biden’s Tribal Nations Summit speech the next day, see HYGO News’ page on Nov. 30, 2022.