Trump is returning to Michigan with hopes of repeating the battleground success he found in 2016

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Donald Trump is making a return to Michigan in hopes of replicating the success he experienced in the battleground state back in 2016. This time, Trump aims to reclaim the territory that played a crucial role in his victory but slipped away from him in the subsequent election.

Despite facing a federal indictment for allegedly mishandling classified documents, Trump is campaigning for a presidential comeback. He will be delivering a speech in suburban Detroit, where he lost ground between 2016 and 2020. Winning back this area would be essential if he becomes the Republican nominee in 2024. However, Michigan has witnessed significant gains for Democrats since Trump’s reelection loss.

Trump is scheduled to address the Lincoln Day Dinner organized by the Oakland County GOP. The party has recognized him as their “Man of the Decade.”

This campaign appearance marks Trump’s first visit to Michigan since his defeat. In 2016, Michigan, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, flipped to support Trump, securing his presidency. However, these states shifted their allegiance to Democrat Joe Biden in the subsequent election.

Since 2016, Trump’s popularity in Michigan has suffered. According to former GOP congressman Dave Trott, Trump’s disruptive influence has contributed to the decline of the Michigan Republican Party.

During the past year, Trump endorsed candidates in Michigan who echoed his baseless claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. One of his choices for attorney general, Matthew DePerno, faced investigation for potential criminal charges related to his attempt to access voting machines after the election. Trump handpicked Kristina Karamo, a former community college professor, to run for secretary of state based on her claims of witnessing election fraud as a poll challenger in Detroit.

In the November elections, the candidates Trump supported in Michigan faced significant defeats, including Tudor Dixon, who lost by a wide margin to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

For the first time in 40 years, Michigan Republicans find themselves without control of all levels of state government, with Democrats making substantial gains. This shift has been particularly evident in Oakland County, which holds the highest number of Republican voters in the state. Winning this county is crucial for Republicans if they aim to carry the state, according to Trott.

Despite losing Oakland County in both 2016 and 2020, Biden received nearly 100,000 more votes there than Hillary Clinton did in 2016. He ultimately won the state by a margin of about 155,000 votes or 2.8 percentage points.

While Trump’s support among Republican lawmakers has declined, with many endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president, state GOP officials continue to stand firmly behind him. Karamo, who lost in the midterms, was chosen by Republican precinct delegates to lead the party. The party leadership quickly implemented changes to the state’s primary process, with the intent to favor Trump. The new plan will allocate only 16 out of the state’s 55 delegates based on the primary results, with the remaining 39 delegates being distributed in closed-door caucus meetings conducted by party members.

Karamo stated that she will remain impartial in the primary and attributed the changes to the necessity of protecting the voice of Michigan voters. However, she declined to comment on whether Trump or his team lobbied for the primary change.

The Michigan GOP worked on the primary plan in collaboration with the Republican National Committee (RNC) and expects it to be approved by the national party. The RNC stated that their conversations with the state party focused on rules and processes, and they look forward to reviewing each state’s plans.

Follow Joey Cappelletti on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Cappelletti7.

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