A clip of Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, the incumbent in the race for Michigan’s Eighth District, has been acquired by Townhall that displays the congresswoman’s ardent support for a Chinese Communist Party-linked effort to build an EV battery mega factory near Big Rapids, Michigan.
WATCH: In 2024, Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet stood by a CCP-linked battery plant deal in Michigan despite national security concerns, taxpayer subsidies, and overwhelming local opposition that killed the project.
— Joe Chalfant (@JoeChalfant) March 21, 2026
Now the firm owes taxpayers $24 million, and they refuse to pay. pic.twitter.com/Ljrwdh2zYv
“What I can tell you is that there has been a lot of political drama around it, and what I will never do is put politics in front of people’s jobs,” McDonald Rivet said during a 2024 candidate forum about her support for Gotion’s planned factory that sparked bipartisan national security concerns. “Now we have to absolutely address the unfair playing field with China. They don’t play by the rules and we need to be ensuring that our national security is protected in those investments. That particular investment had absolute screening by the federal government and I stand by it.”
The project was brought about after McDonald Rivet voted in favor of a $175 million tax-payer funded deal to coax the Chinese firm into constructing the facility in Michigan. Locals widely protested the deal, who claimed that they felt as if they were “at war” with Michigan officials who unilaterally pushed for the plant.
Animosity to the deal grew so fervent that the entirety of the board of local officials who approved the deal either resigned or were removed in a recall election. Another local board rescinded their approval of the deal in 2025.
Gotion is still on the hook to repay $23.6 million to the taxpayers after the agreement broke down due to withdrawn support. The firm, which is “wholly owned and controlled” by a Chinese parent company, has blamed the failure due to “anti-CCP rhetoric” and “anti-China sentiment” based on “unfounded accusations.”
McDonald Rivet had made a previous statement eerily similar to that of the CCP-linked firm, saying that those who opposed the deal were pushing “misinformation and baseless claims” that “serve the politicians spreading them.”
Republicans have argued that McDonald Rivet’s decision placed party over country, but in this case, it was the Communist Party.
“Kristen McDonald Rivet has made no secret of her admiration for the Chinese Communist Party,” said RNC Spokesman Hunter Lovell. “She chose to send millions in taxpayer subsidies to a CCP-linked company over the concerns of her own constituents. Hardworking Michiganders can’t trust her to put their interests ahead of the CCP’s.”
Kristen’s CCP-tied comrades may lose their ally in Congress, as Michigan’s Eighth District is currently rated as “Lean Democratic.”
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
Help Townhall continue to report on the Democrats’ radicalism and inform voters as our nation faces a crossroads. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member