With three empty promise-filled visits from the Trump campaign, Michigan Dems are focused on delivering
LANSING — This week, Michigan Democrats were out in full force reminding voters of the stakes of the election and the stark contrast between a future with Vice President Harris and a future with Trump in the Oval Office. While Trump and Vance spread lies and pushed their extremist agenda, Michigan Dems were fighting to lower costs, protect the state court, and hold MAGA Republicans accountable.
Michigan Dems were all over the airways and in print as they highlighted the reality of Trump’s record on the armed forces, the economy, and reproductive care. When Trump spoke at a National Guard Association Conference in Detroit, Michigan Dems Veterans’ Caucus Theron Tingstad stressed the repeated disrespect that he showed our service members. When Vance visited Michigan and lied about the Trump campaign’s economic plans, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten showed how the Harris campaign is the only one who plans to help middle-class families — instead of selling them down the river to line billionaires’ pockets. In the face of Trump coming back and lying about the economy in Michigan, Democrats set the record straight – Trump shipped Michigan jobs overseas, Harris is bringing them back.
Amidst all the MAGA chaos, Michigan Dems still were putting in the work to protect the state Supreme Court’s liberal majority from extremists and use the momentum from last week’s convention to turn out the vote and deliver Michigan for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Read more from the week below:
First up, Michigan Dems celebrated the well-earned recognition of the Black female Democratic state party chairs that have been energizing voters across the country ahead of the November election. Last Thursday, six of the seven Black female Democratic state party Chairs gathered to celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris’s candidacy just hours before the Vice President took the stage and made history as the first Democratic Black woman presidential nominee:
Washington Post: In Kamala Harris, Black women leaders see historic strides — and work ahead
- Lavora Barnes, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, said she tries to emulate the outreach she received from other Black female leaders before her — specifically pointing to the first time she spoke to Donna Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee. Brazile was also the first Black woman to run a major presidential campaign, managing Al Gore’s in 2000.
- “She was just doing what we do,” Barnes explained. “She was being a Black woman who saw a Black woman in Michigan doing the work and decided to reach out and say, ‘Good job. Thank you for what you’re doing. We see you. Keep up the good work.’
Then, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party’s Veterans’ Caucus Theron Tingstad called out Trump accountable for his atrocious record of demeaning and disrespecting our service members ahead of his speech to the National Guard Association Conference in Detroit on Monday:
“Donald Trump’s own generals and national security advisors agree that Trump is ‘dangerous’ and ‘unfit to serve’ as commander-in-chief. While in office, he abandoned our allies, cozied up to dictators, sowed chaos at home, and called our veterans ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’—making our nation more divided and less safe. Trump is a fool if he thinks veterans and service members are going to forget that his dangerous Project 2025 agenda would cut disability benefits for veterans, leaving folks who got hurt serving their country in cruel situations. Veterans and service members in Michigan are supporting Vice President Harris because she is the only candidate for president who will fulfill our sacred obligation to service members and their families, and will never disparage their service and their sacrifice.”
Without missing a beat, before J.D. Vance visited Michigan on Tuesday, Michigan Dems were highlighting the truth about Trump and Vance’s economic agenda that will cost working families thousands of dollars every single year just to give the richest 1% another tax break. While he claimed that Vice President Harris will increase costs, Michiganders saw right through his act because they know that the Harris-Walz campaign will actually fight for them, not just pretend to:
WXMI: Dems Highlight Harris-Walz Plans to Lower Costs
Then, when Trump again visited Michigan on Thursday, Michigan Dems were prepared for the misinformation and lies that he was sure to spread during his visit to Potterville. While Chair Barnes was setting the record straight about what a disaster a second Trump presidency would be, apparently Trump did that all by himself:
CNN: Harris to Campaign in Michigan for Second Time in a Month
At the state level, the stakes are just as high for abortion rights, unions, and our very democracy in the state Supreme Court elections. To protect the liberal majority, Michigan Democratic Party-endorsed state Supreme Court candidates Justice Kyra Harris Bolden and Kimberly Ann Thomas are making the largest TV ad buy for a Michigan Supreme Court race. Michigan Advance highlighted this $1.5 million ad buy which will underscore that these two incredible women are dedicated to equal justice for all:
Michigan Advance: With majority on the line, Democrats pump $1.5M into Michigan Supreme Court election TV ads
- Justice Kyra Harris Bolden and University of Michigan law professor Kimberly Ann Thomas — who were both nominated by Democrats last weekend — are spending $1.5 million on a TV ad campaign.
- “Let’s be clear: The MAGA fanatics on the other side would do everything they can to strike down the rights and progress Michigan Dems have been fighting for over the past two years if they make it onto Michigan’s Supreme Court – but we won’t let them,” Barnes said. “This investment demonstrates stark contrast between the strength and unity of our party and candidates and the chaos on the Republican side.”
Who knows what MAGA malarkey they’ll bring next week, but no matter what, Michigan Dems will be here to hold them accountable and highlight the truth. Til next week.
Signing off,
Michigan Dems
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