Michigan GOP Chairwoman Kristina Karamo told her critics to go “pound sand” on Saturday at the annual Republican party conference on Mackinac Island, an event that brought the Church of Trump together amid persistent election deniers and conspiracy theorists.
The Michigan GOP leaders elected Karamo to be their party’s chairwoman in February. So far, her term has been rocked by internal divisions and fundraising struggles that have played out as traditional donors have closed their pocketbooks.
During one of her speeches on Saturday, Karamo said rumors that she was going to resign weren’t true. But she acknowledged some people were “angry” that she had become chairwoman.
“Pound sand,” Karamo then said. “That’s what I have to say about that.”
Among the headliners speaking to crowds less than half the size of years past included Kari Lake, Vivek Ramaswamy, Allen Keyes, and Jim Caviezel. Various speakers drew 300 to 800 people throughout the day, numbers that fell short of the usual tallies for the event of 1,500 to 2,000.
Ramaswamy, the only presidential candidate to show up, delivered a slew of red meat for the crowd.
Ramaswamy preached that United States is in the midst of a “war” between people who “share the ideals” of the country’s founders and those who believe in a “culture of victimhood” and the “cult of climate change.”
“This guy is amazing,” but “I’m sticking with Trump,” said Debra Ell, a Saginaw County GOP activist. She praised Ramaswamy as “very Trumpy” and predicted he may have a bright political future as “a great possibility for V.P.”
BridgeMI
Karamo introduced Kari Lake as the true governor of Arizona.
Jim Caviezel put on a theatrical sermon about abortion, and included accusations that California allows abortion up to 28 days after birth, and something-something about harvesting organs. He also asked for attendees to not share videos of his speech.
Peruse the crazy train remarks of Lake and Caviezel at the risk of your own mental health.
*I listened so you don’t have to.
The Michigan Republican Party is finalizing plans to replace its traditional presidential primary with a hybrid system that would award most of the state’s presidential nominating delegates to the winner of 13 Republican convention caucuses.
As a result, the new system would give Michigan GOP insiders more power than average voters to decide the presidential nominee.
Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Bridge Michigan, Detroit News Opinion