President Donald J. Trump made history on July 27, 2026, becoming the first sitting U.S. President to visit General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground, the company’s flagship vehicle testing facility in southeastern Michigan. Trump selected GM as the venue for an event highlighting American automotive innovation, engineering and manufacturing.
GM said it was honored to showcase its vehicles and facilities to the President, who later delivered remarks alongside invited guests at the Vehicle Development Garage to an audience of GM employees, suppliers, local officials and community members.
Milford spans more than 4,000 acres with nearly 150 miles of test roads, including the 67-acre Black Lake test pad — a stretch of asphalt where generations of GM vehicles have been developed and validated. Engineers there have helped bring innovations from airbags and anti-lock brakes to Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance technology to market.
Also joining L to R: GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra, GM Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson. Product Development Executive, Senior Vice President Ken Morris.
Welcoming the audience, GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra said the company tests everything it builds in the U.S. on these tracks and in these labs, from the trucks that move the country to the technology aimed at returning to the moon. She said GM will spend more than $16 billion in the U.S. this year on manufacturing and R&D, calling it a reflection of the company’s strong commitment to the country.
Drag Races at Black Lake
Barra and GM President Mark Reuss welcomed Trump at Black Lake, where energizing music played over the loudspeakers as he joined GM executives and other guests to watch head-to-head drag races between some of the company’s most powerful performance vehicles, including a 1,250-horsepower Corvette ZR1X and a GMC HUMMER EV pickup delivering 13,000 lb.-ft. of wheel torque.
Seated between Barra and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Trump watched the races, discussed the vehicles, waved to drivers, and offered a fist pump as the demonstration concluded.
A Close Look at GM’s Latest Lineup
After the races, Trump got a close-up look at several current GM vehicles, including the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Equinox, Cadillac Escalade IQ and GMC HUMMER EV SUV. He sat in the rear seat of an Emerald Lake-colored Cadillac CELESTIQ to experience the ultra-luxury vehicle’s interior, and signed the 2026 Stars & Steel Collection Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, a special edition built to mark the United States’ 250th birthday.
Trump also stopped at a mint-condition 1957 Cadillac Eldorado and shared a story about his father, Fred Trump, who loved Cadillacs and bought a new one every few years.
Decades of Military Partnership
Trump also inspected GM Defense products, including the Heavy-Duty Tactical Truck (Hybrid) and the Infantry Squad Vehicle, a light, agile truck increasingly used by U.S. and allied soldiers worldwide.
Also in image from L to R: GM Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson. Product Development Executive, Senior Vice President Ken Morris. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. GM President Mark Reuss.
GM has supplied the U.S. government and military for more than a century, and most components in these vehicles are commercial off-the-shelf technology adapted from GM’s retail and commercial products.
Remarks on the American Economy
During a speech lasting more than an hour, Trump emphasized the importance of continued investment in the U.S. and acknowledged the contributions of Michigan’s auto workforce, while also touching on the country’s direction and American competitiveness more broadly.
GM’s Footprint Across America
Milford is part of GM’s broader U.S. footprint, which spans manufacturing plants, design studios, suppliers and dealerships nationwide. GM says it employs more people than any other automaker in the U.S. and contributed nearly $50 billion to U.S. GDP in 2025.