Former President Donald Trump will skip the second Republican presidential primary debate in California next week and instead will travel to Detroit to deliver a speech in front of current and former union members, according to a source familiar with his plans.
His prime-time remarks will serve as counterprogramming to the September 27 debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
The revelation comes as the United Auto Workers’ strike has entered its fourth day.
“The auto workers are being sold down the river by their leadership, and their leadership should endorse Trump,” the former president told NBC News in an interview last week.
Details of Trump’s Detroit trip were first reported by The New York Times.
This story has been updated with additional details.