DETROIT – Donald Trump is controversial all by himself, but when he decided to come to a Detroit church looking for African-American votes, that registers as the presidential-campaign controversy of the week.
The local bishop agreed to bring Trump to Detroit to see how all of this came about.
In June, Bishop Wayne T. Jackson said, he received a phone call at the Great Faith Ministries Church from the Trump campaign. Would he be willing to interview Trump for broadcast on the impact Christian Television Network?
Jackson said yes, and the uproar began immediately, but he's undeterred.
"This interview is about engagement, not endorsement," Jackson said.
The building is getting a sprucing up as it will host a throng of national media Saturday. Much like the campaign, the controversy is loud and nasty.
"People have asked why hasn't he come to a black church or university and so forth and so on; why hadn't he come and spoke to us about what his policies are?" Jackson said. "He's going into white venues and talking about what he wants to do for black people and he needs to come to our neighborhood. He's doing that and people are criticizing that, so I don't know what you could do."
The bishop has already started preparing his questions for Trump.
"You saying you're going to make it better for us, then I want to know, and African-Americans want to know, well what are your policies? What are you going to do if you are elected?" Jackson said.
Jackson said as a leader, it's his responsibility to bring Trump here.
"People are confused, and they don't know which way to go and I have people saying they don't know what to do," Jackson said. "Maybe in this interview, we'll be able to sit down and we'll be able to get some answers and that's my goal."
We're not going to hear Trump's answers for a while. The Republican nominee will attend 11 a.m. Saturday services at the church, after which the bishop and Trump will retire to the back of the church.
Their interview will be private, and will be broadcast on the network about a week later.