Donald Trump ventured this weekend to places where few Republican presidential candidates tread. He visited several Detroit churches and attended a community forum as part of an effort to separate Black voters from President Joe Biden. … in the upcoming November elections.
Trump’s appearance at these religious centers attracted a mix of curious local residents and die-hard supporters, but there was little protest. Both the former tenant of the White House and the current one have pointed out Michigan as a must-win state, where every vote will make a difference.
Trump’s campaign argues there is an opportunity to win over black voters, particularly men who may be attracted to the former president’s strategy, economic and border security policies.
But Detroit is also a place that Trump denigrated four years ago as “corrupt” when he argued that the 2020 election results there couldn’t be trusted. At Church 180 on the city’s west side, the Republican sat on stage at a table flanked by a panel of local community members, including business owners and activists. The event was moderated by U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, a vice presidential candidate.
Trump focused on his core messages, criticizing the Biden administration for high inflation, crime and illegal immigration, which he said has hurt black Americans in particular. “They are entering his community and taking away his jobs,” he said without presenting evidence. “We have to get them out.” Trump noted that crime was “most rampant in African American communities,” adding that “black people want the law enforced more than anyone else.”
