In a possible preview of how she planned to conduct herself as one of the moderators of the first presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, during her coverage of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, ABC’s Linsey Davis claimed – without evidence – that Trump had a “connection” to a month-old KKK rally in Howell, Michigan because he was going to hold a rally in the same town.
In a conversation with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D), Davis noted that “Trump is expected to go campaign in Howell, Michigan tomorrow.” And as if there was no other reason for Trump’s campaign to visit, she suggested the march was why Trump chose to go there:
Many people are aware that a month ago, in Howell, KKK protesters marched in the streets with the white robes on and suggested that they support Donald Trump. I’m curious if you make anything about that connection and him going in particularly to Howell tomorrow.
Contrary to Davis’s suggestion, the march was not widely reported on a national level.
And while she saw no reason for Trump to go there besides the KKK march, a quick search for Howell on Google maps showed it sits between Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Lansing; making it a central location for people to travel to. Michigan was also a closely contested battleground state.
Upcoming ABC News presidential debate moderator @LinseyDavis connects Trump to KKK. Trump to campaign in Howell Michigan tomorrow and a month ago KKK marched there and “suggested they support Trump.” So, “do you make anything of that connection?” ABC News Live at 8:10 PM ET pic.twitter.com/fiHiJchSp0
— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) August 20, 2024
As for Whitmer’s reaction, she falsely suggested that Trump would be there around the same time the march happened (despite it happening a month ago), and she basically wrote-off the town:
Well, you know, anyone who’s doing a little bit of research might have said ‘that’s really a bad idea, look at the optics.’ You’re showing up where the KKK was just at the same time you’re in Michigan.
I mean, this is a – I think – a troubling strategy that we see from the other side to divide us and to scare us and to stoke fear and anger. And contrast to what we are going to see all week, this is a gathering of joyful, happy warriors. We are rolling up our sleeves, we’re doing the work, we take no one and no vote for granted.
Davis followed up with a gooey question about Whitmer’s book and a suggestion that women were a monolith for the Democrats and Harris:
In your book, True Gretch – and I want to quote. You say, you put on a leather jacket when you need true armor and quote, “don’t mess with American women. We will fight back and we will win.” You talked about bringing your daughters here. Do you think that women are key in Michigan for Kamala Harris winning?
This is a taste of what we have to look forward to for the September 10 debate.
The transcript is below. Click “expand” to read:
ABC’s Your Voice/Your Vote: Democratic National Convention
August 19, 2024
8:10:28 p.m. Eastern(…)
LINSEY DAVIS: As you know, former President Donald Trump is expected to go campaign in Howell, Michigan tomorrow. Many people are aware that a month ago, in Howell, KKK protesters marched in the streets with the white robes on and suggested that they support Donald Trump. I’m curious if you make anything about that connection and him going in particularly to Howell tomorrow.
GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER: Well, you know, anyone who’s doing a little bit of research might have said ‘that’s really a bad idea, look at the optics.’ You’re showing up where the KKK was just at the same time you’re in Michigan.
I mean, this is a – I think – a troubling strategy that we see from the other side to divide us and to scare us and to stoke fear and anger. And contrast to what we are going to see all week, this is a gathering of joyful, happy warriors. We are rolling up our sleeves, we’re doing the work, we take no one and no vote for granted.
But by the same token, we are not going to feed into the hatred and the otherism that we see routinely coming out of the Trump campaign.
DAVIS: In your book, True Gretch – and I want to quote. You say, you put on a lether jacket when you need true armor and quote, “don’t mess with American women. We will fight back and we will win.” You talked about bringing your daughters here. Do you think that women are key in Michigan for Kamala Harris winning?
WHITMER: No question.
(…)