(Source: MIRS.news, Published 11/04/2024) Former President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) have made more Michigan campaign stops than the Trump-Pence campaigns of 2020 and 2016 combined as of Friday, reaching 25 visits between the two.

In 2020, the Republicans made nine stops and in 2016 the number reached 14. 

Democrats have made 20 visits when you include Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and President Joe Biden before he dropped out.

Based on confirmed visits between Friday and Election Day, the Republicans will make a total of 26 visits, compared to 21 for the Democrats - or 18 if Biden’s visits aren't counted.

Democrats visited seven times in 2020 and nine times in 2016, so the Democrats reached the same benchmark this past Monday (without counting Biden’s visits) in a double-feature event with Harris and Walz in Ann Arbor. 

Walz visited three cities Friday, delivering remarks in Detroit, Flint and Traverse City.

While Vance held down the fort in Portage, Trump visited a restaurant in Dearborn before holding a rally at Macomb Community College, making him the first major party candidate in 2024 to visit the city.

Trump’s relationship with Arab American leaders is, to put it simply, confusing. Due to the community’s dissatisfaction with the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the war between Israel and Gaza, some voters are feeling tempted to vote for Trump, vote third party, or not vote at all.

The mayors of Hamtramck and Dearborn Heights have both endorsed Trump, but the restaurant owner that hosted him today said it wasn’t necessarily an endorsement. Top Biden administration officials met with Arab American leaders in February after initially declining an invitation, and Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, who declined a meeting with Trump today, met with Harris earlier this year.

Yet, we’ve somehow reached a point where the Hamtramck and Dearborn Heights mayors have endorsed Trump, while Harris’ motorcade is frequently greeted by pro-Palestinian protestors and she has to have a response prepared for when chants inevitably shouted during larger rallies – something MIRS has not encountered at a Trump rally. 

“Today, Trump will try to recast himself. But let’s be clear: He is not the candidate of peace, he is the candidate of divisiveness . . . Vice President Harris has been very clear: She argues that it's time to end the war in Gaza, bring the hostages home, and end the suffering once and for all—all while ensuring Israel is secure and ensuring Palestinians can realize their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination,” said Sami Khaldi, president of Dearborn Democratic Club which has endorsed Harris. 

Natural Law party candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is now supporting Trump, said that even though polling showed his campaign would take more votes away from Trump than Biden or Harris, the former president never treated him uncivilly.

“He was always very kind and civil toward me, and always very friendly and never litigated against me. The Democratic Party started suing me almost on day one,” Kennedy said. 

Nearly every speaker at Trump’s rally encouraged early voting or asked the crowd how many of them had already voted. At Vance’s rally, he said early voting essentially allows Democrats to start the election three touchdowns ahead. 

It’s too late in the game to be pitching policy stances, so Trump’s remarks were a recounting of his greatest hits: “no tax on tips,” “drill baby drill,” “I will end inflation,” “I will stop the invasion of criminals pouring into our country,” and “I will bring back the American dream.”

He did still add that he would call for the death penalty of any undocumented immigrant who killes an American.

At Vance’s event, he told the audience that Harris has perpetuated the problems she says she’ll solve on “day one,” such as bringing down the cost of living, evolving America’s energy industry and securing the southern border.

“Day one was 1,400 days ago,” Vance said.

Vance said Walz has the tougher job between the two of them because he has to convince the American people to vote for Harris. Vance said he has the easier job of defending and supporting Trump.

Walz campaigned at a union hall outside of Detroit with a labor-focused message before marketing Trump as an unreliable, wealthy politician. In an effort to unwind that spin on his background, Trump has worked a McDonald's drive thru and drove a garbage truck in recent weeks. 

“The only thing he knows how to manufacture is BS,” Walz said.

Despite Walz campaigning at a United Auto Workers hall and the Democrats having the union’s endorsement, U.S. Senate candidate Mike ROGERS listed unions that he says support Republicans.

“They may have Beyonce, but we got auto workers. They may have Bruce Springsteen, but we got Teamsters. (They’ve got) Sarah Jessica Parker, but let me tell you who we have: Farmers,” Rogers said.