Obama's Swing Through Detroit Car Show Leaves Out Flint Stop
- President celebrates rebound of U.S. car sales during his term
- Water contamination in Flint, Michigan, draws federal response
Justin Roberson (left), age 6, and Mychal Adams, age 1, wait on a stack of bottled water at a rally where the Rev. Jesse Jackson was speaking about about the water crisis on Jan. 17, 2016 in Flint, Michigan.
President Barack Obama took a victory lap for righting the U.S. auto industry today, as he toured the North American International Auto Show and spoke to auto workers in Detroit after the best year ever for car sales.
The trip is a touchstone as Obama establishes his legacy, including bailouts of General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC in 2009 that were among the first actions of his presidency. Unemployment in Detroit is at its lowest since 2003, and domestic manufacturers produced 12 million vehicles in 2015, double the 6 million built at the industry’s ebb, according to the White House.