MAGA Boat Parade returns as Donald Trump set to visit Detroit

DETROIT - A “Make America Great Again” Boat Parade is scheduled to set sail from Lake St. Clair’s shore in Michigan's Macomb County on Saturday, the same day former president and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee Donald Trump is set to make two appearances in the critical battleground state.

“Michigan, as the Great Lakes State, knows how to show off its nautical enthusiasm,” Rosanne Ponkowski, a spokesperson for event organizers the Michigan Conservative Coalition, said in a press release.

“In that regard, nothing will do better than a massive MAGA boat parade,” she said.

The parade, a tribute to the former president’s 78th birthday on Friday, will embark the following afternoon at 1:01 p.m., precisely, from Lake St. Clair off the Nine Mile Tower Mark. Organizers expect the fleet to coast by Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit by 4:01 p.m. — and wrap up shortly after.

A flotilla of some 300 boats participated in a similar boat-centric birthday bash during the 2020 election. Supporters flew American and Trump flags in tandem and donned campaign gear.

“We have all seen television coverage of the Florida Trump flotillas and elsewhere. Frankly, the Michigan MAGA Boat Parade in 2020 was much bigger and more fun,” said Ponkowski. “Our 2024 Michigan MAGA Boat Parade is expected to be even larger!”

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Headlining the event is a 74-foot flagship boat, accompanied by a privately owned 80-foot tug boat. Seaplanes, helicopters and drones are also expected to join a slew of water bound vessels. Bikers for Trump will ride parallel to the fleet on roadways along the parade route, and boats will join the kick-off crew as the parade passes marinas along the way, organizers said.

Back on land, Trump is slated to speak at a roundtable discussion with constituents at a Detroit church. The candidate will also appear at Hungtington Place to deliver the keynote speech at The People’s Convention, a three-day conference run by the conservative nonprofit Turning Point Action. The list of speakers for the event boasts several prominent figures in the GOP, including members of Trump’s family and former Trump administration staffers.

In 2020, President Joe Biden received 94% of votes in Detroit, while Trump took just 5%. The city has a majority Black population — a key voting demographic in the nation. Biden won 92% of Black voters in 2020, but polls show support has waned. In the current election cycle, both candidates are vying for the support of Black voters, and that is thought to be a target of Trump’s visit.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump's Detroit weekend: MAGA Boat Parade, 2 speaking events