Trump praises gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon at rally in Mich.

Former President Trump threw his weight behind Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon (R) at a rally on Saturday, as his chosen candidate continues trailing incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) in the polls.

“Michigan, you need to dump this wild-eyed extremist Gretchen Whitmer and put Tudor Dixon in the governor’s mansion,” Trump told his supporters in Warren, Mich. on Saturday evening.

The former president touted Dixon’s hard-line GOP stances on abortion, education and law enforcement, while denouncing Whitmer as “one of the most radical, most sinister governors in America.”

“The first step to restoring public safety is defeating the radical Democrats this November and that starts with trouncing Whitmer,” Trump said.

Dixon briefly joined Trump on stage, telling Whitmer, “Stop trying to make reelection happen, Gretchen.”

Michigan is the latest in a series of campaign rallies for the former president. However, some worry that Trump’s support could backfire for Republicans, as could his candidates’ typically hard-line stances. 

A Detroit Free Press poll in late September showed Whitmer with a 16-point lead over Dixon, up 5 points from the month before. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report also shifted the race increasingly in Whitmer’s favor on Thursday, moving it from “lean Democratic” to “likely Democratic.”

Dixon has drawn scrutiny over her hard-right stances, particularly on abortion. She previously said in an interview that she only supports abortion exceptions to protect the life of the mother and suggested that rape victims could heal by being forced to give birth.