Harris and Trump Deliver Their Last Appeals to Voters

In a compelling display of grassroots campaigning, Democrat Kamala Harris made a last-ditch appeal for the presidency at a historic Black church and appealed to the Arab American community in key battleground Michigan. In stark contrast, her Republican adversary, Donald Trump, incited heated rhetoric during a rally in Pennsylvania.

Recent opinion surveys indicate that the race between the two candidates is exceptionally tight. Harris, aged 60, enjoys substantial backing from female voters, while Trump, at 78, is gaining traction among Hispanic male voters. It’s an intriguing dynamic playing out across the electoral landscape.

Despite both candidates facing unfavorable views among the electorate, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll underscores that this hasn’t deterred voters from participating in the upcoming election. Over 77 million Americans have already cast their votes ahead of tomorrow’s election day, according to data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab, approaching nearly half of the total 160 million votes cast in the historic 2020 election, which saw the highest voter turnout in over a century.

As Presidents have struggled to push through major legislation without control of both chambers, the stakes couldn’t be higher. “In just two days,” Harris energized attendees at the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ in Detroit, “we have the power to determine our nation’s destiny for generations.” She emphasized the urgency of taking action: “Praying and talking aren’t enough. We must embody the plans destined for us, making a tangible impact through our everyday choices and community service, thereby strengthening our democracy.”

At a subsequent rally in East Lansing, Harris addressed about 200,000 Arab Americans, beginning her remarks by acknowledging the profound human cost of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. “This year has been harrowing,” she reflected, focusing on the casualties and destruction in Gaza, as well as the displacement in Lebanon. “It’s heart-wrenching. If elected, I will do everything within my power to end the violence in Gaza,” she asserted, prompting enthusiastic applause. However, she faces skepticism from some who feel she hasn’t done enough to quell the violence and reconsider U.S. support for Israel.

Meanwhile, Trump took to the stage in Dearborn, Michigan—an epicenter of the Arab American community. He boldly claimed he could resolve the Middle Eastern conflict without detailing how he would achieve that objective. Samah Noureddine, a 44-year-old Lebanese American from nearby Grosse Ile, expressed her discontent, sharing that while she voted for Biden in 2020, she’s casting her ballot this year for Jill Stein of the Green Party. “I’m frustrated because Harris seems complicit in the atrocities, and if Trump returns, we’re still in for tough times. Honestly, I’m fed up with both options,” she lamented.

Trump’s rallies have been marked by an unrestrained style. On multiple occasions, he diverted from his prepared speech, making off-hand comments that disparaged polls indicating a surge for Harris. He unleashed a tirade against what he termed the “demonic party” of the Democrats, mocked President Biden, and even lamented the rising cost of apples, showcasing a bizarre mix of grievances.

After surviving an apparent assassination attempt in July, where a bullet brushed his ear in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump made a spectacle of his safety concerns. He quipped about the inadequacies of the bulletproof glass shielding him: “An assassin would have to shoot through the news media to even get to me. I don’t mind that so much,” he chuckled, a jab at his longstanding feud with the press.

His recent comments about Liz Cheney, a noted Republican critic, suggested she ought to “face gunfire” for her hawkish policies, prompting a local prosecutor to investigate his remarks. Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, claimed that Trump’s comments weren’t directed at media outlets specifically, but rather addressed the threats ignited by the incendiary language from his political opponents.

As Trump wrapped up his Pennsylvania rally, he announced plans to continue campaigning in Kinston, North Carolina, and then culminate the day’s events with a rally in Macon, Georgia. Among the seven pivotal states poised for tight contests, Georgia and North Carolina boast 16 electoral votes each—extremely valuable in the quest for the presidency, which requires reaching at least 270 electoral votes. Pennsylvania leads with 19 votes up for grabs.

In an odd moment towards the end of his speech, the former president reflected on his time in office, suggesting he regretted relinquishing power. “We maintained the safest border in our country’s history when I left. Honestly, I should have just stayed,” he lamented, reiterating his conviction about the security measures enacted during his administration. Strangely, he called for the announcement of election results on election night, dismissing warnings from officials that it could take several days to confirm outcomes—a stance to which Democrats are prepared to respond in case Trump attempts to declare victory prematurely.

Edited by: Ali Musa

alimusa@axadletimes.com

Axadle international–Monitoring

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