A persistent claim about Donald Trump being honored as “Man of the Year” in Michigan has resurfaced, despite independent investigations yielding no evidence of such an award.
For years, across three presidential campaigns, Trump has recounted a story of receiving this title in Michigan, even predating his political career. However, media outlets, including CNN, have consistently pointed out the non-existence of this award. Despite this, Trump reiterated the anecdote during a recent economic speech in Michigan, adding that skeptical media outlets eventually confirmed its validity.
“I was here 25 years ago, I was named Man of the Year. They – by the way, the press doubted it, and then it turned out that it was true, actually. And I gave a speech, and everything I spoke about was: why are you letting them steal your auto industry?” Trump stated.
Fact-check and context
This assertion is unfounded and represents a recurring fabricated narrative that has appeared in various speeches by Trump.
In the nearly ten years since the story first emerged publicly, no supporting evidence has been found. Michigan does not issue a “Man of the Year” award, Trump has never resided in the state, and his campaign has not identified anyone who might have bestowed such an honor or provided a specific timeframe.
In 2023, after years of the story being debunked, a group of Michigan Republicans established a “Man of the Decade” award and presented it to Trump.
However, Trump’s recent remarks indicate he was referring to a different alleged award than the “Man of the Year” he claims to have received approximately a decade ago. It’s also noteworthy that in earlier iterations of this story, including during the 2024 campaign, he dated the award to the 2010s, not the 2000s as he now suggests.
Dave Trott, a former Republican congressman from Michigan and a vocal critic of Trump, has proposed a likely origin for this fabricated tale. In 2019, he informed CNN that Trump had alluded to receiving the “Man of the Year” award at the 2013 Michigan Republican Dinner, an event to which Trott had invited him.
During that 2013 event, Trott presented Trump with gifts, including a framed copy of the Gettysburg Address. Trott, however, emphatically stated that no “Man of the Year” award was presented to Trump on that occasion.
On at least one occasion, Trump himself acknowledged the curious nature of receiving such an honor in Michigan prior to his political involvement.
“In fact, five or six years before I even thought about running, for some reason they named me Man of the Year in Michigan. I said: “Why is that?” I didn’t understand it myself,” Trump remarked.
In conclusion, there is no evidence to support the existence of such an award, and the myth continues to be a recurring theme in Trump’s public appearances.