FREELAND, Mich. — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is returning to Michigan Wednesday, his first visit to the state since an agent for Attorney General Dana Nessel's office said he's considered an unindicted co-conspirator in an effort to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump is scheduled to speak at about 6 p.m. at an airport in Saginaw County on Wednesday, an off day in his ongoing trial in New York. Trump visited the same location in September 2020, ahead of the last presidential election, drawing an estimated 5,000 people.

Hundreds of people were in line outside the venue by about 2 p.m. Fred Nienstedt, 67, of Clinton Township, was gathering petition signatures from attendees for a ballot proposal that aims to eliminate property taxes in Michigan.

"I’ve known that Trump is going to win this election for a couple years," Nienstedt said, while holding a cup of soup. "It’s not even a contest. It’s ordained in heaven itself."

Nienstedt specifically touted Trump's stances against foreign wars and in favor of reducing taxes. Nienstedt also mentioned independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Nienstedt said will take votes away from Democratic President Joe Biden.

“Mr. Kennedy is an angel from heaven,” Nienstedt said.

Trump lost Michigan to Biden by 3 percentage points in November 2020, 48%-51% or 154,000 votes. But ahead of their expected rematch this fall, early polling has shown the Republican with a slight lead in Michigan against the incumbent.

"It's a big key for anybody," Trump said of Michigan during a radio interview with WJR 760 AM on Tuesday.

During a court hearing in Ingham County last week, Howard Shock, a special agent for the Michigan Attorney General's office, testified that Trump is considered an unindicted co-conspirator in the plot to submit a certificate falsely claiming he won Michigan's 2020 election.

The Democratic Attorney General's office charged 16 Republicans whose names appeared on the certificate with eight felonies each in July, including forgery. But evidence gathered by state investigators has pointed to officials and advisers with Trump's campaign helping orchestrate the effort as they discussed ways to change the outcome of the election in Congress.

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