DETROIT: Kamala Harris targeted the Rust Belt, while Donald Trump headed to the biggest US swing states in a frantic last push, reaching Election Day in a historically close campaign. Seventy-five million people have cast early ballots ahead of Tuesday's climax, and the race is down to the wire — with more states functionally tied in polls at this point than in any comparable election.
As of Saturday evening, neither candidate had a margin greater than three points in any of the seven battleground states set to determine the presidency, according to polling averages maintained by RealClearPolitics.
Harris — aiming to shore up the Great Lakes states seen as essential to any Democratic ticket — was to spend the day in Michigan, beginning in Detroit, then stopping in Pontiac, and concluding with an evening rally at Michigan State University. Trump's Sunday itinerary centres on Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, the three largest prizes in the Electoral College system, which awards states influence according to their size.
The 78-year-old has been attempting to distract from a week-long scandal stemming from his rally at New York's Madison Square Garden, where warm-up speakers alienated Hispanic and female voters with offensive language.
Trump's surrogates reacted uneasily to this misstep, which looked especially unprofessional compared to Harris's speech to a massive, jubilant crowd on Washington's Ellipse, with the White House in the background.
None of Trump's Sunday events take place in areas with significant Hispanic populations, but Pennsylvania is the swing state with the largest Puerto Rican community, which has expressed anger over the rhetoric at Trump’s rally. "The choice could not be clearer for Pennsylvanians: President Donald J. Trump stands for America First policies, while Kamala Harris represents incompetence and dangerously liberal policies that are devastating Pennsylvania families," said the Trump campaign.
Michigan is one of the seven closely watched battlegrounds. Trump flipped the Great Lake State, a former Democratic stronghold, in his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton. President Joe Biden returned it to the Democratic column in 2020, buoyed by unionised workers and a large Black community. However, Harris risks losing the support of a 200,000-strong Arab-American community, which has criticised Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza.
Seeking to broaden her appeal, Harris ended her Saturday campaign with a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, where she satirised her election rival Donald Trump on the iconic sketch show. "Keep Kamala and carry on-ala!" the Vice-President said, in a well-received appearance alongside Maya Rudolph, who has portrayed her as "America's fun aunt" on the show.
Aiming for as much television exposure as possible, the Harris campaign booked a two-minute slot to air on Sunday during NFL games, including the Green Bay Packers versus Detroit Lions — teams from critical swing states. In the ad, Harris pledges to be "a president for all Americans" and promises to "build a brighter future for our nation."
"Campaign research indicates that the last week has proven decisive in solidifying the choice in this election among both undecided and lower-propensity voters," her campaign stated. "The closing argument — a split screen of Madison Square Garden and its fallout against the Ellipse — has cut through and clarified the choice for this slice of the electorate."
Harris, 60, received a boost on Saturday, as the final Des Moines Register poll before Election Day — regarded as a credible barometer of public sentiment — showed a remarkable shift, with Harris leading in a state that Trump won easily in 2016 and 2020. — AFP
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