Will Trump's impeachment sway voters in the key state of Michigan?
Polls consistently show the president trailing top Democrats in the state, which he won in 2016 – but the impact of impeachment is difficult to predict
Polls consistently show the president trailing top Democrats in the state, which he won in 2016 – but the impact of impeachment is difficult to predict
As the historic impeachment vote played out in Washington last week, Donald Trump stood in front of a raucous audience at a rally in Battle Creek, Michigan, and relayed an anecdote from the 2016 election day that fired up the baying crowd.
He and Hillary Clinton had each rolled into the crucial swing state for their final campaign stops hours before the first ballots were cast. Clinton drew a measly audience of “500 people” to her prime-time rally, according to the president’s version of events.
Conversely, he drew 32,000 supporters to a Grand Rapids arena despite not taking the stage until 1am.“I’ll never forget that night,” he boasted. “We did it. And we won Michigan. And word is we’re much higher in the polls in Michigan than we ever were in 2016.”
The tale is not true. Trump’s rally drew a crowd of 4,200, while Clinton’s notched up 4,600. But the story was red meat to his Michigan audience last week who cheered Trump’s fantasy memory as if it presaged another victory in this key battleground state in 2020.
However, the current reality in Michigan for the now impeached president is a bit different. Polls consistently show Trump trailing top Democratic candidates in Michigan, which he won in 2016 by a mere 12,000 votes. Meanwhile, his approval numbers have remained underwater.
