Trump at final rally: ‘Today is our Independence Day’

Donald Trump stayed on message in the final rally of his presidential campaign, vowing to bring change to Americans and heal a divided nation that has been exposed to one of the ugliest and most dramatic elections in modern history.

“You have one magnificent chance to beat this corrupt, rigged system, to deliver justice for every forgotten man and forgotten woman and forgotten child in this nation,” Trump said in Grand Rapids, Mich., early Tuesday morning. 

{mosads}“We are fighting for every citizen who believes that government should serve the people, not the donors and not the special interests, and we are fighting to bring us all together as Americans.”

In the wee hours of Tuesday, the Republican presidential nominee, joined by running mate Mike Pence, said he chose to do a last-minute stop in Michigan to compete with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. He didn’t take the stage until a little after 12:30 a.m., but the crowd was energetic and decked out in campaign gear and the signature “Make America Great Again” caps.

“There’s no place I’d rather be for my last rally than right here in Michigan, late at night and full of energy and life. Boy, do we have energy and life,” Trump said. “Look at this place at almost 1 in the morning.

“If we win Michigan, we will win this historic election. Then we’ll truly be able to do all of the things we want to do.”

Trump largely stuck to his talking points, a difference from his earlier Monday night in Manchester, N.H., where he reverted back to his stream-of-consciousness campaign style. 

His final remarks to voters relied heavily on his stump speech: ending Common Core, protecting Second Amendment rights and vowing to appoint a conservative justice to the Supreme Court.

He took some time to recount the GOP primaries, in which he squared off against more than a dozen other Republicans rivals, but mostly looked forward and largely trained his fire on Clinton.

“We started a year and a half ago, started with 17 talented people,” Trump said. “Now we have one flawed candidate left to beat.”

“After we win, I’m going to be coming back to Michigan a lot,” he said. “Every time we open a new factory or a new automobile plant.”

Clinton added last-minute stops to Michigan to protect her firewall in a state that Democrats have carried in the past six presidential elections. She maintains her edge in polling, leading Trump by an average of more than 3 points in the state.

Trump has argued that he can put Michigan in play, hoping his working-class, anti-trade deal message will resonate with voters in Rust Belt states. At a rally over the weekend, Trump argued that Clinton is “wasting her time” making appearances in the Great Lake State.

During her visit to Grand Rapids earlier on Monday, Clinton touted her commitment to American manufacturing as she sought to draw contrasts with Trump to counter his late push in Michigan.

“He’s gone all over this country, and he’s gone all over Michigan talking about how he’s going to really get more jobs,” Clinton said. “Well I’ll tell you what, look at his record, don’t just listen to his rhetoric. Because I have a different idea: We’re going to invest in America again.” 

The race has significantly tightened in the final weeks, but Clinton holds the edge nationally and in a number of battlegrounds. Most election handicappers and forecasters predict the former secretary of State will clinch the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House.

But that didn’t stop Trump from making a plea for voters to turn out in droves to deliver upsets in traditionally blue states.

“Today is our Independence Day,” Trump said. “Today the American working class is going to strike back, finally.”