TAYLOR (WWJ) — Michigan was once again in the spotlight on the final Friday before the election as both campaigns made stops in the battleground state.
Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz spoke early Friday afternoon at a UAW hall in Taylor, where he spoke to the importance of next week's election, saying it "will shape generations to come."
Walz spent the early stages of his speech focusing on the economy and taking jabs at Republican nominee Donald Trump, including for his handling of labor while in office.
"This is where we need to be a little bit clearer. They're being a little fuzzy about the memory of Donald Trump during his time as president. During the time Donald Trump was president, we lost 2.7 million jobs, 280,000 jobs in Michigan alone, 9,000 in the auto industry when six plants closed," Walz claimed.
WWJ Newsradio 950 reporter Jon Hewett said Walz "channeled his days as a former high school football coach to try and rally supporters for the final push to Election Day.
In something that sounded like a locker room pep talk, Walz told the crowd We got the ball, we're driving down. We gotta get it over the line. Now it's time to say, 'when we vote...'"
"We win!" they replied, twice, before he finished by saying, "Michigan, win this thing for America. Let's go. Let's go."
The Minnesota governor had scheduled stops later in the day in Flint -- where he'd be joined by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer -- and Traverse City.
Trump, meanwhile, stopped in Dearborn, becoming the first candidate to pay a visit to the majority Muslim city during this election cycle.
The Muslim vote is expected to play a big part in the election, as many are still undecided. During the primary some 100,000 people voted "uncommitted," as they were unhappy with the Biden administration's response to the Israel-Hamas war.
The former president visited The Great Commoner, a small coffee shop in Dearborn, before holding a rally in Warren.
During the Warren rally, Trump harped on the importance of winning Michigan.
"I've been up here a lot because we have to win Michigan. We win Michigan, we win the whole bowl of wax," he said.
Trump vowed to "drill baby drill," which he says will help bring prices down for Americans.
Trump is scheduled for a rally in the Milwaukee, Wisc., area later Friday night.
Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, was held a rally in Portage — just south of Kalamazoo — on Friday afternoon, also speaking about the need to get the economy on track.
“I'm sick of the failed consensus of this country that says that we can outsource prosperity to other countries, even while our own people can't afford to buy the food that they put on their family table,” Vance said.
The Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to hold a rally Sunday in East Lansing.
The Trump campaign announced late Friday afternoon he will hold a 10:30 p.m. rally at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Monday, the final night before the election.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest updates. >>> LISTEN LIVE!