Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) went where very few Republican presidential candidates go – the city of Detroit, where he attended a community forum as part of an effort to turn away black voters from President Joe Biden ahead of the November election.

Trump’s appearance at a black church drew a mix of curious local residents and die-hard supporters, but there wasn’t much of a protest.

Both Trump and Democrat Biden have targeted Michigan as a state where every vote can make a difference, and the Trump campaign argues there is an opportunity to win over Black voters, particularly men, who may be attracted to the former president’s economic and border-security policies.

But Detroit is also a place Trump labeled “corrupt” four years ago, as he argued the 2020 election results there couldn’t be trusted.

Trump sat at a table on stage at 180 Church on the city’s west side, flanked by a panel of local community members, including small business owners and activists. The event was moderated by U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, a running mate of Trump’s vice presidential running mate.

Trump focused on his core messages and criticized the Biden administration over high inflation, crime and illegal immigration, which he said particularly harmed Black Americans.

“They’re coming into your community and taking your jobs. We have to get them out,” Trump said without offering any evidence.

Trump said crime is “most rampant here in the African-American communities”, adding that “the black population wants law enforcement more than any other”.

He also vowed to revive the local auto industry in Detroit by imposing tariffs on vehicles made in Mexico and elsewhere.

The church’s senior pastor, Lorenzo Sewell, credited Trump with comparing him to Barack Obama, the first black president of the United States.

“President Obama never came to the ‘hood. So, thank you,” Sewell said.

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Wearing a “Make Black America Great Again” T-shirt, Sewell spent hours before the event helping visitors find parking in the difficult terrain surrounding the church.

The event was unlike a typical Trump rally. Some ardent, MAGA hat-wearing supporters waited for hours to get in, the line numbered hundreds, if not thousands, of people, and some attendees said they just happened to be there by chance.

When the program began, the church was overcrowded. There was a separate crowd of black and white people.

The street in front of the church was blocked by police, but there was no sign of a protest. A dental clinic on the corner was trying to take advantage of the crowd, where an employee held up a sign that read, “Make your smile great again.”

When asked if he was happy that Trump was there, the employee replied, “I would be happy if anybody came here.”

Angelo Brown, 61, of southwest Detroit, said he wanted to see Trump “up close” and hadn’t yet decided between Biden and Trump.

“I’m still listening. I want to see more of a focus on America, our school system, our medical system,” Brown said.

He said, “I want them to solve the immigration problem, not just debate it.”

Tamika Markham, 46, of Detroit, said she is prepared to vote for Trump. “You never know,” she said.

“We’re getting by somehow,” Markham said of herself and her teenage son. “It’s hard for a lot of people. I see a lot of people struggling.”

Not everyone in the neighborhood was happy to see Trump.

As she passed the church, Mae Thomas rolled down her SUV window and said she is a lifelong Democrat and will vote for Biden.

Thomas said a quick visit by Trump to Detroit would not persuade them. He had done nothing for their community as president.

“Now if he came to me right now and did something for our neighborhood, made everything beautiful, that would be different, then we can talk about it,” she said. “But so far I haven’t seen any improvement in the neighborhood.”

A tough climb?

Trump was indicted last month in New York on 34 felony counts accusing him of participating in a scheme to conceal payments made during the 2016 election to a porn star with whom he had an alleged affair. He also faces separate charges for interfering in the 2020 election and allegedly mishandling classified documents.

He was scheduled to speak in Detroit on Saturday at a conference called Turning Point Action, a right-wing advocacy group that could play a key role in turning out the vote for Trump.

While some black voters have expressed support for Trump, his efforts to bring them to his side have been met with resistance.

Trump has made several inflammatory and racist statements over the past few years that have been heavily criticized.

Last year, Trump urged supporters to “protect the vote” in cities like Detroit, Philadelphia and Atlanta — all of which are Democratic strongholds with large Black populations.

Black Americans have been credited with helping Biden secure the White House in 2020. Still, recent surveys have indicated some waning support among Black voters, historically seen as the Democratic Party’s most loyal voter group.

Experts told Reuters that Trump’s trip to Detroit is unlikely to lead to a significant shift in his support among blacks. But the trip could attract centrist Republicans and independent voters who would like to see him build a broader coalition beyond his loyalists.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll in May showed Biden leading at 57 percent and Trump at 12 percent among registered black voters, with 16 percent saying they weren’t sure who they would vote for, 8 percent saying another candidate and 7 percent saying they wouldn’t vote at all.

The Biden campaign is ramping up efforts in Michigan, where Biden beat Trump by 2.7 percentage points in 2020.

Biden spoke at a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) dinner in Detroit last month, while Vice President Kamala Harris visited the state this week.

Local Democratic officials, including Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, held a press conference Friday ahead of Trump’s event to denounce his visit and say another Trump presidency would be detrimental to Black Americans.

“We can’t take even one step back into the Trump reality, which is focused on everybody else, not on us,” Gilchrist said.