Donald Trump Visits Michigan to Make Some Critical Endorsements for November 2022 – Opinion

Does Donald Trump still hold the title of leader in the Republican Party, both national and local? His rally was held in Washington Township, north Macomb County on Saturday night.

Trump visited the Great Lake State on Saturday, his first time since 2020. He chose Macomb County because it is the home of his vast blue-collar support network. Both times, the county supported him with overwhelming support.

Trump was victorious in Michigan in 2016, but lost it by a narrow margin. He also lost Michigan by approximately 150,000 votes in 2020. This is why his appearance here just before the nominating meeting for some of the state offices later in the month is very similar to others Trump has made across the country.

My argument on this page and my radio show has been repeated many times that Michigan is a blue-state, but sometimes it slips into purple. Trump’s visit to Michigan a few weeks prior to the Republican nominations of the Michigan Attorney General and Secretary of State will be a sign that he has the support he needs in order for the state party to go the way he wants.

Starting at The Detroit News…

Former President Donald Trump sought to retain his role as a “kingmaker” in the Michigan Republican Party in a speech over the weekend, but political analysts wonder if his focus on the November 2020 election will snarl the party’s chances in the 2022 general election.

Trump received a warm welcome at Macomb County’s sports center on Saturday. Trump wanted to strengthen his position ahead of 2024, and suggested that he could run again for president. As Trump announced his list of top candidates, thousands of people stood or sat down on artificial turf. They also joined the calls for Trump loyalists taking control of state party politics.

The former president told attendees at the at-capacity Michigan Stars Sport Center to ask each state candidate on April 23 “if they will support the Trump ticket.”

“If they won’t give you that assurance, don’t give them your vote,” Trump said.

Trump’s strategy of flying in right before nominating elections in the primaries has so far worked out well for the candidates in other states and shows that he still has the pull to put people he endorses over the top. Yet as I mentioned above, Michigan is a little bit of a different state than the others that he’s been to. It is a state of blue that turns purple every so often, and this will give him a good indication of his influence.

Political newbies have been nominated for the positions of attorney general and secretary-general.

Even if Oak Park educator Kristina Karamo, who is running for the state’s top election official, and Kalamazoo lawyer Matthew DePerno, who is seeking the top law enforcement officer post, become the Republican nominees, they are pushing early messages that don’t promise to resonate with voters in the November general election, the pundits said.

“There’s just a lot of people running this year for these major positions” who have no history in government, said Bill Ballenger, a former Republican lawmaker and author of The Ballenger Report. “… the Republicans may end up with a whole bunch of people who have no track record.

Having no track record — as opposed to the track record of Dana Nessel and Jocelyn Benson — probably won’t be a huge hindrance. Nestle, Benson and Jocelyn Benson made some news in the past four year that wasn’t as good as they hoped.

Not surprisingly, the ex-president has yet to endorse Whitmer’s choice as governor. This contest, which will determine who will challenge Governor Whitmer in November, is held on a different schedule than the one for attorney general and secretary of state. On August 2, voters will choose who wins the contest. It is likely that there will be a lot of heated competition for this endorsement between the GOP nominees. Only 120 days remain until the primary as of Monday, April 4.

Although I am aware of this, Trump will continue to be an important part of the GOP, even if it becomes clear that he has lost his popularity with Republicans in Michigan and nationally. Many politicians who think they have any influence in the party still exist, and are then dragged off to the woodshed. George W Bush, Bill Clinton and others are the most notable examples. They both could endorse somebody and it wouldn’t even make a dent on the radar, yet Trump’s endorsement is still highly sought.

One damn thing is for certain, though — Governor Gretchen Whitmer has shown that she is not worthy, through her actions over the past four years, of another four years. We don’t know if she will be defeated by the Republican Party or the Michigan candidate.

Yet, if we don’t want to be the California of the Midwest I sure as hell hope that she is sent into early retirement on January 1st, 2023.