But that statement “is a perfect signal of their nervousness,” said Dave Dulio, a professor of political science at Oakland University. “I think it shows they know they need to do some work.”
Biden’s visit is the latest in a series of presidential campaign trips to Michigan, which has played a prominent swing state role in recent elections. Trump held a rally in Saginaw County earlier this month.
“I think it’s difficult, with the polling numbers that we see right now, to find a path to 270 electoral votes without Michigan for Joe Biden,” Dulio said.
Biden and Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, are effectively tied in Michigan, according to the most recent polling average from RealClearPolitics.
But in comparison to past elections, Black voter support for Biden appears to be softening. In a recent national poll, 42% of Black Americans said they would definitely vote for Biden, lower than past years.
Trump’s campaign did not return a request for comment on this story.
Democrats seek ‘shift’
In 2020, Biden won 92% of the Black vote in Michigan, according to exit polls. Biden won Michigan by just 154,000 votes in that election, and in Detroit alone received 241,000 votes from the majority Black city.
The Sunday dinner is the latest in a slew of Michigan visits by Biden and campaign surrogates.
Vice president Kamala Harris was in Detroit May 6 for a White House event touting the administration’s record on assisting Black businesses. First lady Jill Biden is traveling across Michigan this week. Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, was joining her for events in Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, Midland — and Detroit.
The Rev. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit Branch NAACP, said he thinks voters will notice that the state’s unemployment rate has declined under Biden, who has also tried to reduce student debt and increase voting protections.
