NOVI, Mich. (AP) – Donald Trump further disparaged Detroit on Saturday while appealing for votes in the suburbs of Michigan’s largest city in the battleground state.
Watch President Trump’s remarks in the player above.
“I think Detroit and some of its areas are what make our country a developing country,” the former president told supporters in Novi. He said people want to be told Detroit is “great,” but he thinks Detroit “needs help.”
The Republican candidate for the White House told a Detroit business group earlier this month that if Democrat Kamala Harris wins the presidency, “the whole country will end up looking like Detroit.” The comments drew harsh criticism from Democrats, who have praised the recent decline in crime and population growth.
Trump’s stop in Novi Friday night after an event in Traverse City is a sign of Michigan’s importance in the close race. Harris was scheduled to attend a rally in Kalamazoo later Saturday with former first lady Michelle Obama on the first day early voting will be available across Michigan. More than 1.4 million ballots have already been submitted, representing 20% of registered voters. Trump won the state in 2016, but Democrat Joe Biden won it four years later.
Read more: President Trump leaves supporters waiting for hours at Michigan rally while recording interview with Joe Rogan
Michigan is home to major auto companies and has the largest concentration of members of the United Auto Workers union in the United States. It also has a large Arab-American population, many of whom are dissatisfied with the Biden administration’s support for the attack on Gaza following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
During the rally, Trump spotlighted local Muslim and Arab American leaders who joined him on stage. Trump said these voters “could swing the election in either direction,” adding that he was counting on “overwhelming support” from Michigan voters.
“It was peaceful when President Trump was president,” said Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi, one of those leaders. “We had no problems. There was no war.”
Mr. Trump has sought to capitalize on community dissatisfaction with the Democratic administration, but the group has made several changes during his presidency, including a travel ban targeting Muslim countries and a promise to expand it to include refugees from the Gaza Strip if he wins. has a history of implementing hostile policies. November 5th.
California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, a Trump ally and the grandson of Lebanese immigrants, told reporters that Trump has gained support from more Arab Americans and is more interested in the Middle East. He said he has built relationships with Middle East leaders that will bring greater stability.
In a lengthy address to supporters, Mr. Trump went after Ms. Harris and the media with his familiar vitriol, promoting immigration and energy policies that were the centerpieces of his campaign. For example, he said, immigrants are “taking jobs away from black people and taking jobs away from Hispanics.” Government data contradicts this claim, showing that immigrant labor contributes to economic growth and provides advancement opportunities for native-born workers.
Trump was next headed to a rally in State College, Pennsylvania.
Swenson reported from New York.
