Michigan dominated the Democratic presidential campaign trail this weekend.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders kicked off the weekend with a rally in Detroit Friday night.
At the TCF Center, Sanders told thousands of his supporters he and former Vice President Joe Biden have pledged to support the Democratic Party’s nominee. He says defeating Donald Trump is what matters most.
“Together we are going to defeat the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country,” Sanders said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
That said, Sanders blasted Biden’s record on trade, the Iraq War and other issues important to his supporters. He also suggested the Democratic Party cannot defeat Trump by following the same path of the past.
Stateside host April Baer interviewed Sanders ahead of his Ann Arbor rally. They talked about Medicare for All, his popularity with young people, and his votes on the bailout of the auto industry. Listen to that conversation above.
In Ann Arbor on Sunday, Sanders' campaign rallied in the heart of the University of Michigan campus, and drew thousands of supporters. State Senator Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), state Representative Yousef Rhabi (D-Ann Arbor), 2018 gubernatorial candidate Abdul el-Sayed, and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) all spoke before Sanders took the stage.
His speech at U of M highlighted a wide array of the senator's progressive stances. His promises to eliminate student debt and make public universities free received massive cheers by the crowd of mostly students.
Sanders campaigned in Michigan throughout the weekend, with additional stops in Dearborn and Flint on Saturday, and Grand Rapids on Sunday.
By contrast, former Vice President Joe Biden is spending the weekend at campaign events in Missouri and Mississippi.
Biden’s campaign is mainly relying on surrogates in Michigan this weekend. Former candidate Senator Amy Klobuchar and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry are among several Biden supporters campaigning for the former vice president this weekend.
Biden himself plans to hold rallies in Grand Rapids and Detroit on Monday.
Michigan is the biggest prize among Tuesday’s Democratic primaries. Biden is currently leading the national delegate count, but Sanders won the 2016 Michigan presidential primary.
Want to support reporting like this? Consider making a gift to Michigan Radio today.
