Trump to campaign in Saginaw County next month

Former President Donald Trump, the likely GOP nominee, announced Wednesday that he will be returning to Michigan for a rally on May 1.

Trump is slated to appear at Avflight Saginaw in Freeland, the same venue he campaigned at in September 2020. Saginaw County is considered to be a key battleground this fall.

He is currently in court in New York for the first criminal trial against a former U.S. president. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for reimbursing his attorney and personal fixer at the time, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Earlier this month, Trump held a press conference in Grand Rapids where he slammed border security under President Joe Biden following the murder of a 25-year-old Grand Rapids woman, Ruby Garcia. Law enforcement is alleging she was shot and killed by her romantic partner, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, who was in the country illegally.

Trump was joined at the event by GOP leaders, including state House Minority Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.), Michigan GOP Chair Pete Hoekstra, state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Twp.), former Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who’s running for U.S. Senate.

In the August GOP primary, Rogers could face former U.S. Reps. Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids) and Justin Amash (I-Cascade Twp.), as well as physician Sherry O’Donnell and businessman Sandy Pensler. On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), actor Hill Harper and businessman Nasser Beydoun all filed in the Aug. 6 primary.

Trump has not been on the campaign trail as much as Biden since March, as his campaign has reportedly faced money woes and he’s been at the trial since last week. The Republican’s North Carolina rally last weekend was canceled due to bad weather.

Biden last stumped in Michigan last month when he did small events in Saginaw. His campaign has dispatched high-profile surrogates to Michigan this month, Illinois Gov. J.B. Prtizker and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Biden has been campaigning in Pennsylvania and Florida over the last week.