Detroit -- Does the road to the White House run through Naples?
Naples businessman, and former Congressional candidate, Casey Askar has been tapped by former President Donald Trump to increase turnout in the Chaldean community in suburban Detroit.
"I really think we'll get the biggest turnout in the community's history," said Askar, who has lived in Naples for more than two decades but has deep roots in his home state of Michigan and the Chaldean community.
Chaldeans are a tight-knit community of Aramaic-speaking Christians that trace back to Mesopotamia.
According to Askar's research, nearly 100,000 Chaldeans are registered voters in suburban Detroit.
"The Chaldean community had historic turnout for President Trump in the first election," said Askar.
In 2016, President Trump carried Michigan by winning Macomb and Oakland counties, two key counties in the swing-state.
By 2020, he lost both those counties, along with Michigan and the national election.
Askar says turnout in the Chaldean community nearly dropped in half in 2020.
"The margin that (Trump) lost Michigan by was a fairly narrow margin. If the Chaldean community would have turned out and if the auto vote would have been stronger in his favor, he would have won Michigan," said Askar.
Askar met privately with President Trump last summer when he laid out his plans.
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