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If Michigan’s Democratic candidates had any sense of gratitude, they’d jot down this address: 1100 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach, Fla. 33480, and send a nice box of Godiva chocolates or at least a KFC 16-piece family meal.
As you may have guessed, that’s Mar-a-Lago, home of former President Donald Trump, the guy backing all the off-the-wall GOP candidates in Michigan, the guy who’s almost certainly going to help Democrats like Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel breeze to re-election.
It’s coming down to what used to be the fringe of the party battling to be mainstream, with help from the Donald. Outside Michigan, just look to the high-profile antics of Congresswomen Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, twin fangirls of the former guy. Yes, the same Greene who fears the “Gazpacho Police” – perhaps because of acid reflux?
It’s also the same Trump who sabotaged the Georgia Senate runoff in 2020 and handed two Democrats a surprise victory.
In Michigan, Trump backs Matthew DePerno for attorney general. DePerno has been carrying the “Election Steal” flag for Trump, who has trashed his GOP opponent, ex-House speaker Tom Leonard, because he won’t buy into the big lie. Leonard is clearly better-qualified and more level-headed, but that’s not something Trump takes into account. Interestingly, Trump in 2019 nominated Leonard to be U.S. Attorney in Grand Rapids.
Trump is also scheming to fix the 2024 presidential election by backing election theft-friendly secretary of state candidates around the country.
In Michigan, he’s behind community college teacher Kristina Karamo for secretary of state in her bid to unseat Democrat Jocelyn Benson.
Matt DePerno and Kristina Karamo
How out of touch is Karamo? She has peddled the fantasy that Trump really won Michigan in 2020 and that left-wing anarchists were behind the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
"Based on the series of evidence and knowing how these situations work, how these anarchists operate, I believe this is completely Antifa posing as Trump supporters," Karamo said in her podcast the day after Jan. 6. "I mean, anybody can buy a MAGA hat and put on T-shirt and buy a Trump flag."
And apparently almost anyone who spouts Trump’s lies can get his backing.
Democrats have to be thankful for that.
Trump hasn’t formally announced who he’s backing for governor, but it will almost certainly be someone who believes the Big Lie, or is willing to pretend to, publicly. So far, ex-Detroit Police Chief James Craig, who visited Trump last fall in Mar-a-Lago, has yet to say he believes the 2020 election was stolen, which likely would eliminate him from the Trump sweepstakes.
Perry Johnson in Super Bowl ad
Another hopeful, GOP businessman Perry Johnson, attended a fundraiser for DePerno at Mar-a-Lago, with the hope of getting the big guy’s endorsement.
Getting Trump’s backing may win over the hard-core GOP faithful, but in the general election in November it will be a much tougher sell. Some moderate Republicans have had enough of the Trump toxicity and b.s. They want to move on.
"Bottom line, we're for sure going to lose every one of these seats," a GOP insider told me the other day. "It's not going to be close.
"The Republicans are expected to have success in the midterms. Unfortunately, Michigan won't be one of them. Our party is completely divided."
Some see Michigan Republicans locked in a civil war, with Trump’s election rhetoric fueling the conflict.
Then there’s party co-chair Meshawn Maddock, who this week broke tradition and endorsed her “personal” slate, causing more divisiveness.
So far, four party staffers have left over the messiness.
“The party is imploding,” the insider says.
