Former President Donald Trump is set to re-emerge on the campaign trail this Tuesday with scheduled events in Michigan and Wisconsin, two pivotal Midwest battlegrounds that he secured eight years ago but have since proven challenging for Republicans.
Trump’s first stop is Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he is slated to discuss the US-Mexico border situation. Following this, he will head to Green Bay, Wisconsin, marking his first rally in the Badger State since announcing his third bid for the presidency.
The former president’s return to active campaigning follows a period of relative quiet since becoming the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. In contrast, President Joe Biden has ramped up his political activity, including visits to Michigan and Wisconsin.
Trump has been active on social media, launching a series of attacks on his Democratic rival and the legal authorities overseeing various cases against him. His 2016 victories in Michigan and Wisconsin, along with Pennsylvania, shattered the Democrats’ “blue wall” of states they had consistently won since 1992.
However, Republicans have found it difficult to replicate Trump’s initial success in these states, including in 2020 when Biden narrowly clinched all three on his path to the presidency. Democrats have also gained control of the governors’ offices in Michigan and Wisconsin and flipped a crucial Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2022.
Despite these setbacks, Democrats can no longer take these states for granted in national elections. Early polling suggests both Michigan and Wisconsin could pose a challenge for Biden and offer Trump an opportunity to secure electoral votes in the upper Midwest.
Trump’s campaign strategy in Michigan and Wisconsin appears to be focusing on immigration and crime, themes that resonated with voters during his surprise 2016 win. In Michigan, Trump plans to discuss Biden’s handling of the border situation, while highlighting instances of violent crimes allegedly committed by undocumented immigrants.
Despite Michigan being some 1,500 miles from the US-Mexico border, state Republicans have brought immigration to the forefront. State GOP chairman Pete Hoekstra recently stated that suburban families in West Michigan are now dealing with issues typically associated with the Southern Border.
In response to Trump’s visit, the Biden campaign launched a new ad focused on abortion rights in Michigan, while also highlighting Trump’s role in derailing a bipartisan Senate deal that would have increased border security investments.
Reporting contributed by Kate Sullivan, CNN.