GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Former President Donald Trump ushered in Election Day with a late-night turned early-morning rally in Michigan's second largest city, telling thousands of supporters inside Van Andel Arena that "if we win Michigan, we win it all."

Trump railed against his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, and an "evil Democrat system" during a campaign rally in the once-Republican stronghold of Grand Rapids, the city he has made his traditional last stop. His final campaign rallies in 2016, when he won Michigan, and 2020, when Trump lost the state to Democrat Joe Biden, both took place in Grand Rapids.

Shortly after 1 a.m., Trump cast doubt on vote-counting machines that clerks routinely use to tally results. He contended it would be more secure and faster to ditch the machines and for votes to be cast only on a single Election Day.

"Maybe it will take these machines we paid so much money for two weeks," Trump said. "Can you believe it? ...

"Something's going on with this. What the hell are we doing? We don't want to wait 10 days, or two days. ... We want the answer tonight."

Trump took the stage in Grand Rapids after midnight and continued speaking just past 2 a.m., following remarks by some of Trump's adult children.

During his speech, Trump took familiar hits against his political enemies, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who he hinted at describing as a gendered slur without using the term.

“It starts with a ‘b’ but I won’t say it,” Trump said, prompting a few Trump supporters inside the arena to shout the slur.

Trump also described former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and his former Chief of Staff John Kelly as “our stupid generals, our terrible generals” and specifically said Kelly, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, was “dumb as a rock.” Both Kelly and Milley have said Trump would behave like a fascist if he returns to the White House.

Trump made sweeping promises about the economic boon he would bring to the country through tariffs on foreign automotive parts and drilling for more American oil and gas. He promised to tighten American immigration policy, denigrating migrants who cross at the U.S. southern border and calling for "the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen."

He also issued warnings about Harris' economic plans, predicting she would create an economic depression.

A group of Michigan economists analyzed Trump's and Harris' economic plans. Harris' economic policies include incentivizing American manufacturing, down payment assistance, child tax credits and targeted tariffs on certain items. Trump's include boosting fossil fuel drilling, issuing sweeping tariffs on imported goods and renewing some 2017 tax cuts, cutting construction regulations.

Trump again repeated the claim that Harris would issue an "electric vehicle mandate." The Biden administration did not mandate EV purchases or sales. New, gas-powered cars and trucks continue to be sold. The administration did put forward stricter tailpipe emission standards in March that will be hard for companies to meet without increasing EV sales.

As a pivotal swing state, Michigan has become central to the 2024 presidential election. Republican nominee Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, as well as their Democrat rivals Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have made frequent stops in Michigan in the final days of the campaign.

Walz rallied supporters at another late Monday night rally at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit, hours after Vance rallied Trump supporters in Flint. Harris visited Detroit, Pontiac and East Lansing’s Michigan State University on Sunday. Trump was last in Michigan on Friday, stumping for votes in Dearborn and Warren.

Kris Cox, 29, of Holland said he felt confident swing state voters would carry Trump to a second term. He attended Trump’s Monday night rally to show his support before what he foresees as a certain Trump victory.

Cox predicted Muslim residents of Michigan would help Trump secure Michigan's 15 electoral votes in route to the White House. Israel’s war in Gaza looms over voters in Muslim and Arab American communities, which have been inundated with attention from both campaigns. Some community leaders have endorsed Harris, others Trump. Third party candidates are making inroads as well.

“The Muslim community has found a home with Donald Trump, which I think is really encouraging,” Cox said. “We saw even Rashida Tlaib refuse to endorse Kamala, so I think that community is finding a voice within the Republican party.”

Tlaib spoke at a United Auto Workers union rally in Detroit on Friday in favor of down-ticket Michigan Democratic candidates but did not endorse Harris during her speech.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi was among the group of Michigan supporters who spoke before Trump’s arrival. He said he has heard from both business owners and new immigrants in his community who support Trump.

Bazzi, who has spoken at other Trump campaign stops, said people encouraged him not to endorse Trump for fear he would lose his next mayoral race in the Detroit suburb.

“I told them I’d rather lose my election than have a bunch of warmongers win the election,” Bazzi said.

A video of Trump played in Van Andel Arena as the crowd awaited Trump’s arrival. In it, Trump encouraged them to vote “any way possible,” including by absentee ballot or early in-person voting.

He also encouraged voters to “keep (their) eyes open because these people want to cheat and they do cheat,” echoing debunked claims he continues to make about the results of the 2020 election and casting doubt on the legitimacy of the coming results.

There was no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, according to repeated investigations by the then-Republican majority Michigan Legislature and federal prosecutors.

Earlier in the day, Harris’ campaign hosted a press conference in Grand Rapids featuring former Republican U.S. Rep. Fred Upton of St. Joseph and a group of prominent Michigan Democrats encouraging residents to vote for Harris.

Upton endorsed Harris for president last month. He joined U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten and Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, all Democrats, at the Grand Rapids press conference.

“I've been conservative for my entire life,” Upton said. “I've never voted for a Democrat for president — until now. [Vice President] Harris and I — we don't agree on plenty of issues. But I know that she's strong, she's a committed public servant, she's smart, and she has the best interest of the American people at heart. She embodies the kind of leadership that we need in the Oval Office these days to solve the nation's problems.”

More than 3 million votes already cast

Although Election Day officially starts Tuesday morning, almost 44% of registered Michigan voters already have cast ballots, according to the Michigan secretary of state. Approximately 1.2 million voted at early, in-person voting sites in this election, the first presidential in which that is allowed, and another 1.98 million people have voted absentee.

Danny Earl, 22, of Grand Rapids is one of those early voters. He said he followed the guidance of anti-abortion group Right to Life of Michigan and cast a ballot in person before Election Day.

“I thought it was nice to get out, and if people see more people going out early it might encourage them to go out as well,” Earl said.

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