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SAGINAW, MI -- Supporters in an important Michigan swing county celebrated Donald Trumps acceptance of the Republican presidential nomination Thursday with a roadside party.

Trumps supporters -- some of whom did not identify as Republicans -- gathered along one of the major streets in Saginaw to wave signs, jam out to politically-themed parody songs and eat a well-cooked hotdog courtesy of Jim Conger, a retired GM worker. Thursdays event was attended by several retired autoworkers and people tied to the manufacturing industry, who said Trumps focus on blue-collar jobs earned their support for a second term.

Voters in Saginaw County were critical to Trumps surprise win in Michigan four years ago. The county is among a dozen that Trump flipped in 2016 after they previously voted for the Obama-Biden ticket twice, and Trump was the first Republican to win Saginaw County since 1984.

Pamela Mueller is a retired GM worker who made the trip south from Bay County, which also flipped for Trump after a 32-year history of voting for Democrats. Mueller said she hasnt identified as a Republican until recently, but had been hoping Trump would run for president long before his 2016 campaign.

Hes a get it done man, Mueller said. Plain and simple: I love Trump.

Mueller and her husband Rod last saw Trump in 2015, when he drew a sell-out crowd of more than 2,000 people to the Birch Run Expo Center in Saginaw. The coronavirus has cut short the presidents ability to hold large rallies in Michigan this year, but organizers of Thursdays grassroots event said theyre more than happy to keep the energy up for him.

Read more: Vice President Mike Pence to visit Traverse City Friday after Republican National Convention

Debra Ell, director of the Mid-Michigan Trump Republicans, said her organization has played a key role in building on Trumps base since 2016. She said many Democratic voters were propelled toward Trump due to his message on trade and their aversion to Hillary Clinton.

Michigan has always been blue, so it was like how do we reach out to these Democrats? Well, we had the gift of Hillary in 2016, Ell said. Union voters would come in and say theres no way in hell Im going to vote for Hillary Clinton.

Trump did earn more Saginaw County votes than Mitt Romney in 2012, but Democratic votes there dropped by 9,985 from 2012-16. Trump won Michigan by only 10,704 votes, a narrow margin that makes swing counties critical to the presidents hopes of winning the state again in 2020.

During a Wednesday Trump campaign event in Saginaw, a field organizer told residents outside the countys Republican Party headquarters that Saginaw is a must-win county for the president.

U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, was also there to drum up support for Trump. He said hes seen more enthusiasm than at this point in 2016, particularly because Trump made good on his campaign promise to renegotiate a North American free trade deal with Canada and Mexico.

Democratic nominee Joe Biden is also keeping a focus on autoworkers in Michigan. The campaign is leaning on Michigan surrogates to highlight his work during the 2009 auto bailout. Biden sat down with a member of the United Auto Workers union and other middle-class workers during a segment of the Democratic National Convention last week.

I tell you what, the future of autoworkers in America, and I really believe this, can be as bright as it was back in the late 40s, 50s, Biden said last week. Simple reason, its an iconic industry, its an American industry. We made it. We made it.

Rick Riebschleger, a Republican candidate for Saginaw County sheriff, said Bidens work during the auto bailout doesnt impress him.

The only fresh air weve had for decades is President Trump, Riebschleger said. The Democrats are like balled tires. It doesnt matter how many times you put them on your tire or where -- they wont help you in the snowstorm.

Thats not to say Saginaw is solely home to Trump voters. Demonstrators attracted a fair number of boos and middle fingers as well as honks of support from passersby. One driver blared the Nipsey Hussle song F*** Donald Trump, which elicited a mild reaction from the crowd.

Ell acknowledged Biden doesnt inspire the same negative feelings as Clinton but also said Republicans dont trust Biden to govern as a moderate. She said the Democratic Party of John F. Kennedys era -- which stood up for the little guy -- is gone.

The Republican Party isnt the same either, Ell said. Its now Trumps party.

Ell said Trumps rise to the head of the GOP has caused some internal resistance. Several Republicans spoke at last weeks Democratic National Convention against Trump, and former Michigan Republican Party director Jeff Timmer is part of a big-dollar effort to help Biden.

They dont realize we are the party; its not a thing, its not an entity, Ell said. Its the heart of the people, and our heart is with Trump.

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Michigan supporters celebrate Trumps nomination for a second term on last night of RNC - MLive.com