GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Former president and current Republican candidate Donald Trump is trying to break through the blue wall.
He has made more than 17 stops in our state this past year. His opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, made 14 trips with multiple stops to Michigan.
In August, I broke down the cost of Trump’s July visit, and with another rally on the eve of the election, I wanted to find out how much these political events are costing us and if these bills are being paid.
“It’s like a Michigan football game over here,” Trump said in his opening remarks in July.
Months after Trump's visit, Harris made her first stop to the west side at a local park in Grand Rapids.
"It is good to be back. It is good to be back,” Harris said in October.
The two presidential nominees know Michigan is a key swing state with 15 electoral votes up for grabs.
"So let me first thank all of you for taking the time out of your busy lives to be here together this afternoon," Harris said to a crowd in October.
“I’m thrilled to be back in the great state of Michigan with thousands, thousands... I mean lots of thousands up here,” Trump said in July.
Local municipalities charge for the policing and security they provide for the former president’s rally. In July, the cost to the city of Grand Rapids was more than $32,700.
A Grand Rapids spokesperson explained that the city sent an invoice to Trump’s campaign on Sept. 24, due Oct. 23.
As of the night before the election, that invoice has not been paid.
"I can tell you in other instances where this has happened; in the contract, it is the responsibility of Secret Service to cover local law enforcement and security costs," Trump's National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
She adds she doesn’t work in the billing department.
"So again, I haven't seen this particular bill, but my assumption would be that the city should reach out to United States Secret Service as they are responsible for those costs, not the Trump campaign," Leavitt explained.
I followed up with the U.S. Secret Service. They sent us this statement:
"State and local law enforcement play a crucial role in our ability to effectively safeguard the former president and other Secret Service protectees. However, the U.S. Secret Service currently lacks a mechanism to reimburse local governments for their support during protective events. In recent discussions with Congressional leaders, we identified this as a critical need, given the essential role our police and public safety partners play. We will continue to work with Congress to advocate for the necessary resources and authorization to support the city, county, and state law enforcement agencies that assist us every day," Chief of Communications United States Secret Service Anthony Guglielmi wrote.
As for the Harris campaign’s visit in October, a spokesperson for Grand Rapids explained that the campaign prepaid its special event invoice to use Riverside Park.
That bill was for $2,800.
The city spokesperson adds another invoice may yet be issued for related costs that are still being calculated by the city.
Grand Rapids officials explained that before this past July's visit, Trump’s campaign had paid all of its previous bills. We will stay on top of these bills and provide updates when they arrive.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
