Trump to stop in GR Friday

Last time Grand Rapids hosted the president-elect, it was the night before the election — or perhaps more accurately, the morning of the election. Donald Trump was late to his own rally and didn’t begin speaking until 12:30 a.m.

Trump gets a chance to be more timely this week, as he returns to Grand Rapids this Friday, Dec. 9. Trump has scheduled a stop at the DeltaPlex arena. He is slated to begin speaking at 7 p.m.

This stop is part of Trump’s “Thank You” tour of states he won in the presidential election Nov. 8.

Michigan has been a popular state for Trump; he made eight appearances in the state over the course of the campaign. His insistence paid off, apparently, as Michigan, which has been solidly Democratic for 28 years in presidential elections, turned red this time around.

Michigan only certified its election results last week Monday, Nov. 28, revealing Trump’s win at the slim margin of 10,704 votes. Now those results are being challenged in a recount of Michigan’s votes led by Jill Stein.

Trump’s thank you tour began last week with an Indianapolis rally. Before Grand Rapids on Friday, Trump stopped in Fayetteville, North Carolina and Des Moines, Iowa.

His victory lap stops have had some of the features of his pre-election rallies: Trump’s now-standard promises to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, end illegal immigration and build a wall along the border with Mexico, and crowds chanting “Lock her up!” and “Build the wall!” Trump continued to disparage the media as well.

But his North Carolina speech also attempted a message of unity, something both sides of the aisle have called on Trump to pursue after the divisive election: “We will heal our divisions and unify our country,” he said. “When Americans are unified, there is nothing we cannot do — nothing. No task is too great, no dream too large, no goal beyond our reach.”