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DIMONDALE -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's event in suburban Lansing today was pushed back three hours, to 5 p.m., after Trump added to his Friday schedule a visit to flood-ravaged Louisiana.
Trump, whose campaign began airing its first TV ads since the conventions on Friday, traveled to Baton Rouge with his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
Some have noted that Trump, who is making his second visit to Michigan in less than two weeks, has never visited Flint, the Michigan city still dealing with a water-contamination disaster that resulted in state and federal emergency declarations and residents relying on bottled water and filters. None of the Republicans who competed with Trump for the nomination visited Flint, though both Democrats, Hillary Clinton and her opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, did visit Flint -- holding a March debate in the city ahead of Michigan presidential primary.
Republicans slammed President Barack Obama Thursday for continuing a vacation on Martha's Vineyard without visiting Louisiana.
Trump, whose campaign did not immediately respond Friday to a question about visiting Flint, is scheduled to arrive in mid-Michigan after creating some buzz Thursday with some uncharacteristic -- and positively received -- comments in Charlotte, N.C.
"Sometimes, in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words or you say the wrong thing," USA Today reported Trump telling backers in Charlotte.
"I have done that — and, believe it or not, I regret it ... And I do regret it -- particularly where it may have caused personal pain."
A spokeswoman for the Clinton campaign expressed skepticism about Trump's sincerity.
Trump, who has been accused of offending Mexicans, Muslims, immigrants, the disabled and fellow Republicans such as John McCain during his 14-month presidential campaign did not specify which comments he regretted and said at one point that journalists have often taken him "out of context," USA today reported. Throughout the campaign, Trump has generally refused to apologize for remarks viewed as insensitive or insulting.
Trump is scheduled to speak Friday at The Summit, an arena and sports complex in Dimondale southwest of Lansing, where a capacity crowd of about 6,000 is projected. Representatives of the UAW, elected Democratic officials and other protesters denounced Tump at a news conference outside the complex Friday morning.
It's Trump's second visit to Michigan in as many weeks, having spoken at the Detroit Economic Club on Aug. 8.
Donald Kleinknecht, a retired Ford Motor Co. designer who lives in Livonia, said Friday he won't make it to the Dimondale event but will be casting his vote for Trump.
Donald Trump, again unscripted, returns to Michigan
"He's different," Kleinknecht said. "He's loud and he speaks his mind. Maybe that's what we need."
"We don't want to stop immigration, but we want to eliminate as many of the bad guys coming in as we can," said Kleinknecht, who said he supports Trump's proposal to build a wall on the Mexico border but wants to hear more details.
"I'm sure my taxes will go up slightly with him," despite promised tax cuts, "but they're really going to go up with Hillary," he said.
Ken Keyes, a Republican high school teacher who lives in Locke Township in Ingham County, said he will vote for Trump reluctantly as "the lesser of two evils," over Clinton.
"I'm not sure that he's a full-fledged Republican," Keyes said.
The Clinton campaign highlighted the anti-Trump event outside The Summit in a news release, saying Trump has said wages are too high and he supports abolishing the federal minimum wage.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.
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