Trump calls Harris "the most radical left person ever" during Michigan visit
HOWELL, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — Former President Donald Trump spoke on Tuesday at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, taking aim at Vice President Kamala Harris and focusing on inflation, jobs, illegal immigration and law enforcement.
His visit comes on Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Trump's running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, recently held a press conference at the Shelby Township Police Department.
Trump criticized the current administration, saying that violent crimes have increased.
"[Harris] is, as you know, the most radical left person ever even thought of for a high office, certainly for the office of president. People don't know the real Kamala, but I do, and people that do what I do, they also know," Trump said.
Ahead of Tuesday's event, Harris' campaign fired at Trump, saying, "The racists and white supremacists who marched in Trump's name last month in Howell have all watched him praise Hitler, defend neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, and tell far-right extremists to 'stand back and stand by.' Trump's actions have encouraged them, and Michiganders can expect more of the same when he comes to town next week. But voters here support leaders like Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, who are focused on bringing us together, and we'll continue working to stop Trump and his far-right extremist allies who promote division, hate, and violence."
Michigan sheriff warns of "dirtbags that want to rile stuff up" ahead of Trump's visit
A Michigan sheriff shared details ahead of Trump's visit and asked residents to be respectful as he addressed the white supremacist demonstrations that occurred in the city last month.
Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy shared additional details in a video posted to the department's Facebook account. Murphy alluded to Trump's visit to Grand Rapids in July, when white supremacists held demonstrations in Howell, with some chanting "Heil Hitler" while they marched.
"Within the last month, there's been a couple of folks that have come here to cause a little bit of a stir, spew some hate speech, white supremacy crap," Murphy said. "Those folks are from out of town; those are not Livingston County people...I'm just asking us, Livingston County residents, to do what we do, and be respectful like we are. I would hope everybody would get that message, but there will be a couple of dirtbags that want to rile stuff up."
Past reporting had shed light on a troubled history in Howell, including a period of time in the '70s when Ku Klux Klan gatherings were allegedly held on the farm of KKK Grand Dragon Robert E. Miles, who, according to reports, held white supremacist rallies and was, also sentenced for a school bus bombing.
Murphy began the video by clarifying that Trump's visit, which will be held at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, is intended as a press conference, not a political event.
"There will be about 150 folks from the press here. There will be some special guests that are by invitation only, and when I say some, that number is going to be about 70. So again, it's really just a press conference; the former president is coming to address the press regarding safety and crime," he said.
"Here's really the purpose of this post: Folks tend to be very, very passionate about politics, tend to be very passionate about former President Trump, whether it's a passionate yay or a passionate nay," he added. "So, whether you plan on coming to cheer or whether you plan to jeer, I would ask this: Please, please, please be respectful. The national spotlight will be on us; I'm sure the national news will be taking some pictures of folks holding signs. We don't need the vulgar signs out there; we don't need the hate-mongering.
