While the fight against the state leadership , particularly the Governor, has galvanised his supporters?
Trump threatened to hold up federal funds for the state but changed his mind the next day
The state has lost a lot of jobs….
It has a natural catastrophe flooding problem …
And a virus fight….
Trump is fly there to highlight a health product manufacturing plant…
But even THAT has issues…
Officials want Trump to wear a mask…
Trump hasn’t been seen with one …
President Trump is heading to Michigan on Thursday to tour a factory that’s churning out ventilators and personal protective equipment for the coronavirus crisis, but his visit to the election-year battleground state was overshadowed by self-inflicted controversies over voting and masks before he left.
He sparked a furious clash with state officials when he threatened Wednesday to withhold federal funding from Michigan because it sent absentee ballots applications to registered voters so they can participate in the November election without exposing themselves to potential infection.
Trump later backed off the threat but continued to falsely insist that there’s “tremendous fraud” and “tremendous illegality” involving mail ballots.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer fired back Thursday, accusing Trump of deliberately stirring division while her state faces a double-barreled disaster.
More than 5,000 people have died from COVID-19, and more than 1.7 million people have filed for unemployment, or about a third of the state’s workforce. In addition, a devastating flood has hit the Midland area after two dams breached Tuesday, forcing thousands to evacuate.
“To have this kind of distraction is just ridiculous to be honest. … Threatening to take money away from a state that is hurting as bad as we are right now is just scary, and I think something that is unacceptable,” Whitmer said on “CBS This Morning.”
…
Asked if he would wear a mask, Trump said “I don’t know, we’re going to look at it” as he left the White House shortly after noon Thursday.
The turmoil over voting and masks reflect Trump’s ability to generate controversies and attention for otherwise routine events such as touring a factory.
But they also reflect Trump’s failure to highlight the administration’s fight against the coronavirus, even in a crucial swing state such as Michigan. Trump won the state by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2016, but polls show him trailing Biden this year….
….
A new Crooked Media/Change Research poll in Michigan finds Joe Biden leading Donald Trump in the presidential race, 49% to 46%.
Interesting takeaway: “Half of Biden’s lead (1.5%) comes from people who didn’t vote in 2016, or voted third party.”
…
Michigan …
| RCP Average | 3/5 – 4/21 | — | — | 46.5 | 41.0 | Biden +5.5 |