Former President Donald Trump called on his supporters to vote out Michigan’s governor, attorney general and secretary of state during a rally in Macomb County Saturday night.
“Seven months from now, the people of Michigan, they’re going to fire the radical left Democrats who are destroying our country,” said Trump to the cheers of the crowd.
Thousands of Trump supporters showed up at a sports complex in Washington Township that hosted the former president’s rallies twice before.
Like those past rallies, Donald Trump touted his own accomplishments as president and ridiculed Democrats, RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) and the news media. But this time he also shared the spotlight.
Trump brought Secretary of State candidate Kristina Karamo and Attorney General candidate Matt DePerno on stage with him. Both support the former president’s unproven claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
A few hours before, as the rally was getting underway, Karamo slammed incumbent Democrat Jocelyn Benson’s handling of the 2020 election.
“Who does this woman thinks she is that the people of Michigan don’t have the right to question her?” asked Karamo. “Who does this woman think she is if the people of Michigan don’t have the right to scrutinize the election process?”
Republican Attorney General Candidate Matt DePerno went a bit further when he took the stage, pledging to hold Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson “accountable”, which drew chants of “Lock Her Up” from the crowd.
“For far too long, we’ve allowed these radical, leftist Democrats, to destroy our state, and it’s time we take it back,” said DePerno.
Trump not only endorsed Karamo and DePerno, he also urged his supporters to attend their county GOP meetings coming up in the next week. Delegates chosen at the county level will decide who some of the Republican Party’s candidates will be at a state convention at the end of the month.
While the former president has made endorsements in a variety of federal and state races in Michigan, he has not weighed in on the state’s Republican race for governor.
A large number of Republicans have launched campaigns to challenge Democratic incumbent Gretchen Whitmer. But first, one of them has to win the August primary.
Several gubernatorial candidates attended the rally. But only conservative commentator and Norton Shores businesswoman Tudor Dixon received a shout out from the former president during his speech. There was some confusion about whether he was endorsing Dixon, but a Trump spokeswoman says the former president had not.
Dixon says she would like the former president’s backing.
“I think it’s very important,” said Dixon. “ You saw the crowd tonight. The enthusiasm he still brings to the table. He’s still the head of the party.”
Dixon’s campaign could use the boost a Trump endorsement could bring.
A recent Trafalgar Group poll shows Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig leading Republican gubernatorial candidates with 34 percent. Dixon trails with just 3 percent.
For his part, Craig is interested in the former president’s endorsement, but he’s not depending on it.
“If I get it, bravo. If I don’t, I’m not dropping out,” said Craig.
Voters will decide who will be the GOP nominee in August.
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