KENT COUNTY, MI - Donald Trump didn't ask for any help from Kent County Republicans.

The presidential campaign for the brash businessman set up a Monday, Dec. 21, rally here, then called the party's local headquarters with "a courtesy notice" that Trump was coming and they've got it handled, said John Inhulsen, Kent County GOP chairman.

Trump, who visited Michigan in an August appearance in Birch Run, will be back in the state and bigger than ever when he entertains perhaps as many as 7,000 people inside The DeltaPlex, just outside Grand Rapids. He'll bring his no-holds-barred, off-the-cuff bombast that at times has incensed Democrats and conservatives.

Whether Michigan Republicans like it or not, Trump is leading their party's polling for president as their leaders sit on the sidelines and watch, if not root for him.

"Trump's campaign is doing its own thing," Inhulsen said. "The Kent GOP is not involved in their being here. We don't have any role.

"I cannot imagine there are (7,000) Republicans going to this event. There's a lot of interested people, people who want to say they were there, people interested in pop culture. That's the kind of guy he is. He's a celebrity."

Trump also is the emerging face of the Republican Party, if polling is accurate. Six weeks before the first of the country's presidential caucuses and primaries - 11 weeks before Michigan voters will pick nominees March 8 - Trump continues to lead the field.

He's also continuing to utter controversial statements, like calling for a freeze on Muslim immigration, enraging critics and prompting some Republicans to distance themselves.

"Gov. Snyder has been very clear that Mr. Trump's comments (about banning Muslim immigrants) were inappropriate and don't represent the spirit of America," said Dave Murray, a spokesman for the Republican governor. "Mr. Trump doesn't speak for the governor, and he doesn't speak for Michigan."

While disavowing some of Trump's statements, Republicans at the same time won't disown the man who's as popular as Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina and Mike Huckabee combined, according to one poll.

If Trump wins the nomination, Michigan Republicans say they will support him against the Democratic nominee.

"Whoever it is will be better than Hillary Clinton," said Ronna Romney McDaniel, chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party. "The process is playing out right now. We have candidates having a very robust dialogue. It's good for our party to have such a discussion and it's great for Michigan voters to vet them.

"The voters are engaged in this process earlier than they've ever been. It's making more people pay attention."

McDaniel spoke at a Trump rally in August that drew a large and enthusiastic crowd to the Birch Run Expo Center, but Trump didn't accept her invitation to appear at a Republican leadership conference on Mackinac Island in September. She's not planning to be at The DeltaPlex for Trump's visit Monday. Neither is Inhulsen, the county chairman who accompanied Jeb Bush on a visit to Grand Rapids last month.

When Bush came to town, there was a rally at the Kent GOP headquarters on Grand Rapids' West Side. Trump's making a bigger splash at The DeltaPlex, which will have room for about 7,000 people, said Joel Langlois, the arena's president.

Langlois said his sales team reached out to several presidential campaigns. Trump's campaign called back.

"We've been working on this thing, literally, only about a week and a half," Langlois said. "It's a short notice deal."

The security will be "impressive," Langlois said. The Secret Service and law enforcement from the Michigan State Police, Kent County and city departments are expected.

"There will be a lot of different uniforms out there," said Greg Long, deputy police chief in the city of Walker. "This one is kind of unique because of the person he is. He comes in with quite a repertoire of contentiousness."

Eleven years ago, when the DeltaPlex hosted a visit from then-Vice President Dick Cheney during President Bush's re-election campaign, state Rep. Rob Verheulen, R-Walker, was in attendance as the city's mayor. Mark Huizenga, the current mayor, didn't get an invitation from Trump. Neither did Verheulen.

"I'm not offended or anything. I'm just curious," Verheulen said. "I certainly don't embrace everything that he has said, but in America, you have the right to say it. The traditional rules of what you do as a candidate, certainly he's not following those rules and, if the polls can be believed, it obviously has not damaged him.

"The fact that he's in the race has generated a lot of interest from people that traditionally don't follow primaries and debates and so on. I don't think you can dispute that his presence has generated a higher (interest)."

Thousands of people are expected to be at The DeltaPlex to see and hear Trump. But the crowd won't include Inhulsen, McDaniel and Verheulen.

Trump apparently doesn't need them. But he may end up being their man.

"I guess I won't be there (Monday)," said Verheulen, who's making other plans. "If Donald Trump calls and says 'Rob, it'd be really nice to have you there,' I'll reconsider."

Matt Vande Bunte covers government for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at mvandebu@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter and Facebook.