Uncommon Knowledge
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Donald Trump is leading President Joe Biden in the crucial battleground state of Michigan, according to recent polling.
Trump was riding high as he arrived in Grand Rapids on Saturday for his first campaign rally since narrowly surviving an assassination attempt the week before. A gunman opened fire on the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, leaving Trump with a bloodied ear, killing one of Trump’s supporters and injuring two others before he was shot dead by Secret Service agents.
In the days since, Trump formally accepted the GOP nomination, celebrated a legal victory and saw a boost in some national and swing state polls. It comes as Biden is continuing to face pressure to drop out of the presidential race after a disastrous debate performance in late June raised fresh concerns about the 81-year-old’s age and ability to beat the Republican in November.
Biden, who is isolating as he battles a COVID-19 infection, has repeatedly insisted he will remain in the race.
Trump addressed those calls during Saturday’s rally, polling the crowd on whether they would prefer his opponent in November to be Biden or his heir apparent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump first mentioned Harris, mispronouncing her name, which elicited boos from the crowd.
When he named “crooked Joe Biden,” the crowd’s booing intensified significantly. Trump also mentioned Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan, who also received boos, but not as loudly as those for Biden.
Michigan is one of several swing states that could determine the outcome of November’s election. Trump narrowly won the state in 2016, but Biden won in 2020 by just 154,000 votes. There have been concerns about his ability to win Michigan—which has the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the nation—in November after more than 100,000 Michigan voters cast ballots for “uncommitted” in the state’s Democratic primary in February as a protest against Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
FiveThirtyEight’s average of polls shows that Trump is leading Biden by 2.2 percentage points (43.6 percent to 41.4 percent) in Michigan as of Sunday.
Polls conducted since the assassination attempt have all had Trump leading.
A Civiqs survey of 532 registered Michigan voters conducted between July 13 and 16 had Biden trailing Trump by 3 percentage points, 46 percent to 43 percent. The same survey found that Trump and Harris were tied, with 46 percent support each. The survey has a margin of error of 5.3 percent.
An Emerson College poll, which surveyed 1,000 registered voters between July 15 and 16, also found Trump leading by 3 percentage points in a two-way matchup, with 46 percent supporting Trump, and 42 percent backing Biden. Trump maintained the same lead when third-party candidates were added. The poll has a margin of error of 2.1 percent.
Biden visited Michigan last week, where he touted his administration’s achievements and sought to hammer home the high stakes of November’s election.
“Another four years of Donald Trump is deadly serious,” he said during a rally in Detroit on July 12. “America needs to wake up and realize that Trump and his MAGA Republicans—what they’re trying to do. We’re going to join them, we’re going to engage them and we’re going to stop them.”
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
When the Sweet 16 continues on Saturday during the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament, Michigan women’s basketball (27-6) will continue its climb to reach the Final Four for the first time.
The Wolverines, who earned the No. 2 seed in the Fort Worth 3 Region, are playing in the program’s third Sweet 16 under head coach Kim Barnes Arico.
“We committed to Michigan to do this, and we committed to Coach Arico to do it for her and for each other,” Michigan guard Olivia Olson said. “We’re accomplishing the goals we set out to, and we’re not done yet. So we’re going to keep having fun with it and keep preparing.”
Michigan will take on No. 3 Louisville Cardinals (29-7) at 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
“This is my first time going to the Sweet 16, all of our first times, so I think the feeling of, we’re still dancing, we’re still playing basketball, it’s a great feeling,” Louisville guard Taj Roberts said.
The winner from Saturday’s matchup will play in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday, March 30, for the right to advance to the Final Four.
The Michigan Wolverines will play the Louisville Cardinals in the Sweet 16 round of the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 28, at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
The 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament is down to its Sweet 16 and we’ll have a Final Four by Sunday evening. For half of the college stars taking the court this weekend, it’s one final opportuniy to impress NBA teams with their play at full game speed when the lights are brightest as this year’s draft class comes into focus.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY’s latest mock draft, Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. is expected to go in the first round. Here’s how USA TODAY currently projects the big man’s draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN’s projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Kalbrosky’s Analysis:
Morez Johnson Jr. is one of the best, most underrated two-way players in the NCAA. He is a crucial part of the Michigan identity this season and has thrived since transferring to the Wolverines from Illinois. Johnson’s shooting form at the free throw line looks good, and he scores well near the rim, especially when cutting to the basket. The former FIBA U-19 Team USA standout and All-Big Ten big man is a trustworthy defensive playmaker, too, and should find minutes at the next level.
See USA TODAY’s full mock draft here
(all stats as of March 15)
A pedestrian was struck and died of her injuries early Friday on the Lodge Freeway in Detroit.
Emergency dispatchers started to get calls about 2:30 a.m. about someone who was walking along the Lodge, and then were notified that the person had been struck by a vehicle, the Michigan State Police reported.
When troopers arrived, they found multiple cars stopped along the freeway, and people standing around a woman who was severely injured.
Detroit EMS pronounced the woman dead at the scene, state police said. She has not yet been identified.
The driver who struck the woman did not stay at the scene.
“Troopers are currently using technology that is available in the area to identify the vehicle involved,” MSP F/Lt. Mike Shaw said.
The Lodge Freeway, also known as M-10, was closed at about 2:46 a.m. Friday between Chicago Boulevard / Hamilton Avenue and Clairmount Street for the investigation and emergency assistance, according to Michigan Department of Transportation reports. The Lodge was reported back open at 6:05 a.m.
Michigan Department of Transportation traffic reports are at the MI Drive site.
State police said their investigation is continuing. Those who witnessed the crash or have other information are asked to call the MSP Metro South Post at 734-287-5000 or Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 800-SPEAK-UP.
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