Donald Trump and Kamala Harris struggled to woo voters in key battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin on Friday as the presidential campaign entered its final stages.
Harris made several appearances in Wisconsin on Friday, including featuring musician Cardi B, and Trump visited both Michigan and Wisconsin.
At a rally in Warren, Michigan, on Friday afternoon, Mr. Trump sought to energize voters with a speech filled with typical fear-mongering about immigrants and jokes, including musings about hair. .
A day after the former Republican U.S. Representative first said he should “shoot her” with a rifle, he repeated his aggressive attack on Liz Cheney.
Harris, meanwhile, sought to draw a contrast, stressing at an afternoon rally in Wisconsin that she aims to be a political consensus builder.
“This is my pledge to you. This is my pledge as president. I pledge to seek common ground and common sense solutions to the challenges you face,” Harris said. said. “I pledge to listen to those affected by my decisions. I will listen to the experts. I will listen to those who disagree with me. Because… Because unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe that people who don’t agree with me are the enemy.”
“He wants to put them in prison,” Harris said, repeating a line he has heard often these days. “We give them a seat at the table.”
During appearances in Warren in the afternoon and in Milwaukee in the evening, Trump repeatedly stoked fears about immigration. “Every state is a border state,” he said in Warren, falsely claiming that immigrants were pouring into the Southwest.
He repeated the most racist metaphor, saying: “All of our jobs are being taken by immigrants who come into the country illegally, many of whom happen to be criminals, some of whom also happen to be murderers.”
The former president sought to connect Harris to the latest jobs figures showing the United States added just 12,000 jobs in October.
Then, the next day, he attacked Cheney again, a day after calling Cheney a “radical war hawk” in a conversation with Tucker Carlson and saying she should face “getting shot” with a rifle.
“Let’s just stand there with a rifle and let her have nine barrels firing at her. Let’s see how she feels about it. You know, her “When you have a gun pointed at your face,” he said.
President Trump’s comments on Friday were similar.
“She’s a tough person. But if you give Liz Cheney a gun, turn her to the other side, point the gun, and throw her into battle. She has the power to look the enemy in the eye.” You don’t have the courage, you don’t have the strength, you don’t have the stamina,” Trump said.
“That’s why I broke up with her,” President Trump said, drawing laughter.
I also had time to reflect. “We’re going to miss these rallies, right?” Trump asked the crowd at one point.
At another point he said: Today is not looking so good…not a good hair day for me, oh my. ”
At Harris’ rally in the evening, Cardi B said she was inspired to vote because of the vice president. “I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life,” said the artist.
“I’m not going to give Donald Trump a second chance,” Cardi B said. “I’m not taking any chances with my future, and I’m sure I’m not taking any chances with my children’s future.
“I’m with Kamala.”
Harris praised Wisconsin’s motto of Forward, telling young voters at the rally: It’s natural that you’re looking forward to change. You are determined to live free from gun violence. You will be fighting the climate crisis. You will shape the world you inherit. I know that. I know that,” she said.
She further added: None of this is theoretical to them. None of this is political to them. It’s their lived experience. It’s your lived experience and I see your strength, I see your strength and I’m so proud of you. ”
Polls in battleground states show Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris tied, with a Detroit Free Press poll showing Mr. Trump leading by 3 points in Michigan.
Republicans and Democrats, and their unofficial backers, have railed against the escalating rift. Harris’ campaign is working hard to persuade young voters, who overwhelmingly support Democrats, to go to the polls.
With just days left before the Nov. 5 election, some Michigan Democrats said they were “stunned” by the prospect of another Trump win in the state. Biden won Michigan in 2020, but Trump defeated Hillary Clinton there in 2016. Relying on polls showing Biden with a large lead, the Clinton campaign has prioritized campaigning in other states, ignoring key Democratic constituencies such as the state’s black communities and autoworkers. Ta.
Harris has spent more time on the ground in Michigan than in any other state except Pennsylvania. Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, have been touring the state to woo black voters, white suburban women, college students and factory workers.
Last week, Barack Obama rapped with hip-hop legend Eminem at a rally in Detroit. Bernie Sanders, a beloved figure on the Democratic left, sought to reassure young voters in the state that Harris is more than just a pro-business Democrat.
Mr. Trump has also stepped up efforts to persuade Michigan voters. On Friday, the former president stopped in Dearborn to appeal to Arab American voters, many of whom are deeply disappointed in Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Many of Dearborn’s Muslim leaders, including Dearborn Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud, refused to meet with President Trump.
“The architects of the Muslim ban are campaigning in Dearborn. “People in this community know what Trump stands for. We’ve suffered from that for years.” Hammoud, a Democrat, told X. “Despite a flood of requests, I have refused to meet with him. Trump will never be my president.”
Hammoud, who has not endorsed either Harris or Trump for president, also called fellow party members. “Dear Democrats, please remember that your unwillingness to stop funding and enabling genocide created the space for Trump to infiltrate our communities.”
Meanwhile, Michigan residents have been bombarded with campaign ads for months, many featuring exaggerated or blatantly false claims. According to NPR, political ad spending in the state has reached $759 million, making Michigan the top state in terms of political ad spending this election.
