Capitol police prepare for Trump-endorsed rally in Michigan Tuesday

The Michigan State Capitol could see higher attendance than expected at an Oct. 12 protest calling for a "forensic audit" of the 2020 election after former President Donald Trump directed supporters to the event.

The rally, which takes place from noon to 3:30 p.m., was initially registered with the Capitol by a group called Election Integrity Fund and Force, which anticipated 100 attendees.

But after Trump plugged the event in an Oct. 8 statement, law enforcement believes that number could climb.

"Big Michigan Rally coming up on Oct. 12th, on the Capitol steps in Lansing," Trump wrote Friday. "Anyone who cares about our Great Country should attend..."

Tuesday's rally at the Capitol is the first there in nine months promoting debunked theories that the 2020 election was rigged in President Joe Biden's favor. The last was a Jan. 17 dud in which media and police outnumbered demonstrators, one of several sparsely attended protests at state capitol buildings nationwide inspired by the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C.

Michigan State Police Lt. Darren Green, part of the body that oversees Capitol security, said the 100-attendee estimate is no longer realistic after Trump's endorsement of the event.

"I don't know if he caught wind of it and wanted to put fuel on the fire (or) saw that something regarding the vote was already scheduled or what," Green said. "Obviously, things on our end have changed a little bit."

Intelligence has not indicated a threat of violence ahead of the rally, but police will continue monitoring for last-minute threats in order to secure the Capitol without overshooting the number of officers needed.

"We don't want to call in the cavalry," Green said. "It's always a delicate balance."

Some officers will likely be stationed at the Capitol's east vestibule to enforce the building's indoor open carry ban, which the Michigan Capitol Commission instituted after the events of Jan. 6. Green said there's usually overlap between protests supporting the Second Amendment and former President Trump, so the security measures for a recent gun rights rally at the Capitol will act as a model for this one.

Michigan Capitol Commission Vice-chair John Truscott said previous rallies promoting theories about the 2020 election have been respectful of Capitol grounds, and he expects the same on Oct. 12 despite several unknowns.

"We don't know how many people will be there, or what the agenda is," he said. "Our main responsibility is to provide the forum for free speech, for anybody who meets that standard."

Election Integrity Fund and Force, who in addition to registering the event is listed as a sponsor on the flyer, is also promoting a statewide "Audit Michigan Tour"  with stops in Cheboygan and Traverse City.

Portage-based attorney Matthew DePerno, a prominent voice in the effort to overturn the 2020 election who Trump has endorsed for state attorney general, is scheduled to attend the Lansing protest. Two other Trump-endorsed candidates, state Rep. Steve Carra and Kristina Karamo, are also scheduled to attend.

As for the total number of attendees, it's matter of who decides to follow through. Truscott said digitally organized rallies tend to have lower in-person attendance than projected online, as people indicate interest on social media that fades when it's time to head out. 

"We never really know until it happens," he said. 

Contact reporter Annabel Aguiar at aaguiar@lsjnews.com or (517) 449-8248.