Donald Trump heading to Michigan to rally for GOP election deniers DePerno, Karamo
Former President Donald Trump is coming back to Michigan soon, hosting a rally for at least two Republican contenders for statewide office who have touted his conspiracies that the 2020 election was stolen.
The rally for Matt DePerno, a Kalamazoo attorney and candidate for attorney general, and Kristina Karamo, a candidate for secretary of state, is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 2 in Washington Township, according to a news release.
More:Trump, Maddock endorsements shake up Michigan races in unusual, controversial ways
More:Michigan GOP co-chair says Trump campaign directed fake electors, per CNN audio
"I am so excited to announce President Trump will be joining my campaign in Michigan on April 2nd! He is fired up and knows we will WIN!" an email from DePerno's campaign reads.
Both DePerno and Karamo are endorsed by Trump and Michigan Republican Party Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock, which could prove key to securing the support of thousands of GOP delegates who will select their party's nominee.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson tweeted Friday that he planned to attend the rally. Trump has not officially endorsed any candidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Other Republican candidates are also expected to attend.
Since leaving office, Trump has traveled the country to tease a potential 2024 run, but has not yet stopped in Michigan.
Trump last visited Michigan on the eve of the November 2020 election, stopping first in Traverse City, followed by a midnight speech to thousands of supporters in Grand Rapids to close out his campaign. He followed a similar path in 2016 when he won a narrow victory in Michigan that helped propel him to the White House.
“I was elected to fight for you and I've fought for you harder than anyone has ever fought before,” he said in 2020, before flying back to Washington, D.C. to await the results.
In the final week of his campaign, Trump also made visits to Lansing, as well as Washington and Waterford townships.
In addition to Michigan, Trump also campaigned heavily in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the final days of his campaign. All three states proved crucial to his victory in 2016 against Democrat Hillary Clinton — each decided within one percentage point. But in 2020, those states voted for Joe Biden and were key targets of Trump’s election lies and efforts to overturn the results.
Yet, that has not stopped Trump and many of his supporters from claiming election results were rigged or subject to widespread fraud. DePerno led the election challenge in Antrim County, a small northern Michigan community where an Election Day snafu temporarily suggested Biden won the very conservative area.
Trump and some of his supporters later heralded DePerno's work — at one point, Trump advisers used a report issued by someone helping DePerno to try and justify taking control of election machines across the country.
DePerno repeatedly alleged a sweeping conspiracy to defraud Trump, echoing similar conspiracies about vote manipulation from ex-Trump attorney Sidney Powell and her "Kraken" legal team. A federal judge recently punished Powell and others, saying their claims were baseless and potentially aimed at sowing discontent.
More:Draft Trump order suggested seizing voting machines based on Antrim irregularities
More:AG accepts GOP lawmaker's request to investigate those peddling election lies
Michigan Republican state senators also concluded there was no widespread fraud in the state's 2020 election, going as far as to recommend law enforcement prosecute people profiteering off the lie. But that has not stopped DePerno, who has only gained substantially more support and attention as he continues to tout calls for a "forensic audit" in Michigan.
Karamo has leveled unsubstantiated allegations of voting irregularities she said she observed while working as an election challenger in Detroit in 2020. Following the election, she participated in legal efforts to delay and overturn the results and, after those failed, pressed lawmakers to order another review of the election.
She has called Trump's endorsement "an honor" and recently appeared alongside Trump in Mar-a-Lago for a fundraiser for DePerno.
Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.