Harris and Trump make final push across swing states as election nears
This combination of pictures shows
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (L) gestures as he arrives on stage to speak during a campaign rally, and U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (R) walks on stage. (AFP Photo)
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump began a frantic last push across crucial U.S. swing states Sunday, with less than 48 hours of campaigning left to gain a decisive edge in a historically close presidential race.
Over 75 million Americans have already cast early ballots, and the contest remains razor-thin, with polls showing several key states virtually tied.
Despite dramatic twists — including an assassination attempt and Harris’s late entry into the race — the candidates are worlds apart in both campaign styles and visions for the country’s future.
A final New York Times/Siena poll released Sunday showed minor shifts in battleground states, but all seven remained within the margin of error.
Harris, focusing on the Great Lakes states critical to a Democratic victory, spent the day in Michigan with stops in Detroit, Pontiac, and a rally at Michigan State University. Trump, meanwhile, focused on Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia — three pivotal states in the Electoral College.
Trump, 78, has been grappling with fallout from his controversial rally at Madison Square Garden, where warm-up speakers offended Hispanic and female voters with racially charged and sexist comments. The scandal has overshadowed his recent campaign efforts.
In contrast, Harris’s team celebrated her well-received speech in Washington, delivered before a jubilant crowd, with the White House serving as a dramatic backdrop. Trump’s surrogates acknowledged the damage from the New York rally, which alienated key voting blocs.
While Trump avoids areas with large Hispanic populations on Sunday, Pennsylvania holds the largest number of Puerto Rican voters among the swing states, a group particularly upset by the comments at Trump’s rally.
Final polls ahead of Nov. 5
Michigan remains a fiercely contested battleground. Trump flipped the state in 2016, but Joe Biden reclaimed it for Democrats in 2020.
This time, however, Harris faces potential backlash from Michigan’s sizable Arab-American community over Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Polls also indicate declining Black voter support for the Democratic ticket, with Harris’s team acknowledging efforts are still needed to secure sufficient African American turnout, particularly among men, to replicate Biden’s 2020 coalition. However, the Harris campaign has taken heart from strong turnout among women voters, driven by reproductive rights concerns.
Harris on SNL
In a bid to broaden her appeal, Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend, where she parodied Trump in a sketch alongside comedian Maya Rudolph. The vice president’s appearance was well-received as she continues to seek greater TV exposure.
The Harris campaign has also invested in a two-minute commercial set to air during Sunday’s NFL games, targeting key swing states. In the ad, Harris pledges to be “a president for all Americans” and promises to “build a brighter future.”
Her campaign believes the last week has been decisive in solidifying voter preferences, particularly following contrasting rallies between the candidates.
A final Des Moines Register poll showed a significant shift in Harris’s favor, with the vice president now leading Trump by three points in Iowa, a state Trump won comfortably in 2016 and 2020.
