With Election Day looming, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump launched a high-stakes final campaign push across critical swing states on Monday. This 2024 presidential race has divided the electorate, with both campaigns projecting optimism yet bracing for potential days of uncertainty before a clear winner emerges.
Vice President Harris spent her last campaign day in Michigan, where she aimed to win over voters frustrated with the U.S. stance on the Gaza conflict, particularly among the state’s influential 200,000-strong Arab-American community. Harris’s campaign trail also included an energetic rally in Michigan, where she declared, “we have momentum — it’s on our side.” She is expected to spend election night at her alma mater, Howard University, a historically Black college in Washington, D.C.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who has been pushing a more combative tone, campaigned across Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia. In Pennsylvania, Trump adopted dark rhetoric, telling supporters he “wouldn’t mind if journalists were shot” while making jabs at media and Democrats. He also claimed that Pennsylvania Democrats were “fighting so hard to steal this damn thing,” stirring fears he may not accept a 2024 defeat if it occurs.
Trump, who continues to echo unproven claims that his 2020 election loss was due to fraud, has been setting the stage to potentially contest the 2024 results. He promised “retribution” if elected, has vowed to prosecute political rivals, and urged his supporters to view Democrats as an “enemy within.” He believes that economic discontent, particularly with rising costs for food and rent, will propel him back into the White House.
Both campaigns have been encouraged by early voting numbers, with over 78 million votes already cast, nearly half of the 2020 turnout. In the last days, the campaigns flooded social media, TV, and radio with ads, while volunteers knocked on doors to secure every vote.
The spotlight has been on Pennsylvania, the most contested state, where Harris and Trump are scheduled to hold rallies in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania’s significance as a swing state with high electoral stakes has made it a focus for both candidates. Harris’s campaign plans to finish the day with a rally in Philadelphia, where performances by Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, and Oprah Winfrey are expected to energize supporters.
In contrast, President Joe Biden, 81, has kept a low profile after a recent gaffe where he referred to Trump supporters as “garbage.” Biden will spend the campaign’s final day at the White House, while Harris begins her day in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden’s hometown.
