Former President Donald Trump will aim to strengthen his support among voters in the Great Lakes region on Thursday with campaign events in Michigan and Wisconsin, both of which are considered key battleground states in the 2024 election.
According to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average, Trump is currently trailing Vice President Kamala Harris in both states. In Michigan, Harris leads by two points, 48.5 to 46.5, while in Wisconsin, she holds a narrow lead of just one point, 48.6 to 47.6.
Trump’s campaign swing will kick off with a rally near Michigan’s state capital, Lansing, in the small town of Potterville. This will be his second visit to Michigan in the past week, following a speech on Monday to the National Guard Association in Detroit. During that speech, Trump promised to build a national defense weapon system akin to Israel’s “Iron Dome,” and announced plans to create a Space National Guard.
Later in the day, Trump will head to La Crosse, Wisconsin, for a town hall event at 6 p.m. Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who endorsed Trump on Monday at the National Guard Association, will moderate the event. This will be her first major appearance with the Trump campaign. It will also mark Trump’s first visit to Wisconsin since the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month.
Michigan and Wisconsin are critical states for the former president. He secured surprise victories in both states in 2016, becoming the first Republican to win Michigan since George H.W. Bush in 1988 and Wisconsin since Ronald Reagan in 1984. However, in 2020, Trump narrowly lost both states, including by less than one point in Wisconsin.
