What initially drew Karamo to Trump’s attention was the prominent role she played in Michigan in promoting his “big lie”, the false conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was stolen from him. “She is strong on crime,” he said, “including the massive crime of election fraud”. The second clue to Trump’s thinking is the language he used when he endorsed her last September. What happens in the state could then in turn have enormous national implications: in both 20 Michigan was pivotal in securing the White House for Trump and Biden respectively. The post-holder acts as chief elections officer in Michigan, and in that capacity will have considerable sway over how the presidential election is conducted in 2024. The first is the position for which she is standing in November’s midterm elections – secretary of state. There are two clues as to why Trump is willing to make the 1,200-mile schlepp from his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, to chilly Michigan on Karamo’s behalf. She opposes teaching evolution and has called public schools “government indoctrination camps” she argues that many Americans live in poverty because “they just make dumb decisions” and she contends that the instigators of the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol were “totally antifa posing as Trump supporters”. Karamo, 36, describes herself as a defender of the Christian faith and espouses some arresting beliefs. Kristina Karamo is a part-time community college professor who has never held elected office and who up until 18 months ago was relatively little known outside conservative and religious circles in the Detroit suburb in which she lives.
His guest of honor at the rally he is staging in Washington Township will be bear no resemblance to the local politicians whom former US presidents normally champion.