Harris and Trump focus on Sunbelt states in final weekend voting push

Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump They zeroed in on the Sun Belt when they set off on Saturday one last weekend mission to sway every undecided voter in the battleground states. They put forward competing agendas on the economy and more, each insisting that’s what Americans want.

“We have overcome every attack, every abuse, even two assassination attempts,” Trump said at a rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. “And now it all depends on it.”

Trump then traveled to Virginia, which is not considered a battleground state, but offered a similar message, telling supporters there was no way he could lose and that he was “on the verge of the greatest political victory in the history of our country.”

Trump predicted he would win not just the Electoral College count but a majority of the votes cast across the country, but failed to do so in two previous attempts.

“We will win the people’s vote,” Trump told the crowd. “I think we have a really good chance to win the public vote.”

Harris, meanwhile, is urging her supporters to vote early so she can be elected and provide the “next generation of leadership” she claims to represent.

“I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States,” he said at a rally in the Atlanta Civic Center parking lot. He had to pause several times so paramedics could attend to people who had fainted after hours in the heat.

It was unclear whether Harris herself had voted early. campaign spokesperson michael tyler He said Saturday that Harris planned to vote by mail but could not say whether she had returned the ballot to her home state of California. Trump confirmed Saturday that he will vote in person in Florida on Tuesday. I’m telling you in advance He would vote early.

“Is anyone here already voting?” he asked the Atlanta crowd, who cheered loudly in response. “Wow. My god. “Thank you, thank you.”

It was part of a final, frantic effort by Harris, Trump, their running mates and their high-profile surrogates to encourage people to vote early or in person on Election Day on Tuesday.

Harris’ campaign was hoping for a “high-impact” moment with a two-minute broadcast on Sunday during NFL games on CBS and FOX, including the Green Bay Packers against the Detroit Lions, two major in-state teams. It shows Harris interacting with people and speaking directly to viewers during the campaign.

Finally, he says, “I ask for your vote now because as president, I will stand up and fight for the American people every day.”

Harris Campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon In a conference call with reporters on Saturday, confidence was projected as both sides make the final push to get the votes. “If you can hear the joy in my voice, it’s because we’re on GOTV weekend,” he said.

Trump, meanwhile, has spoken wistfully, as he has at some of his recent rallies, about how his final run is nearing its end after nearly a decade of campaigning.

“I hope we will meet again many times,” the former president said in his first speech. two North Carolina rallies. “This was the thrill of a lifetime for you and me.”

At the second rally in Greensboro, he said he would rally for two more days “and then we shut it down, it will never happen again.” He later said he would hold “a different kind of rally – a rally for our country.”

He later laughed at a sexist joke about Harris. As Trump repeated, without evidence, his claim that Harris lied about working at McDonald’s when she was younger, someone in the crowd shouted that she “worked on the corner.” Trump laughed, looked around, and pointed to part of the crowd.

“This place is amazing,” he said, cheering. “Remember, other people say this. “I’m not.”

The planes carrying Harris and Trump met on the tarmac in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the vice president ended his campaign day.

The actress also attended there Kerry Washington and rocker Jon Bon JoviHe played a newer song, “The People’s House,” which he said he wrote shortly after the U.S. Capitol was stormed by pro-Trump rioters on Jan. 6, 2021.

“We still have work to do,” Harris said at the Atlanta rally, adding: “Make no mistake, we will win.”

He also described his campaign and supporters as “the promise of America.”

Minister Joe BidenWHO withdrew from racing this summer When it became clear he couldn’t win, he was doing his part for Democrats by making what could be his last campaign stop in 2024. Biden, who turns 82 this month, struck a nostalgic tone as he tried to help get votes for Harris and her running mate. Tim Walz During an event at the carpenters’ club in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

And like himself It’s been done frequently latelyBiden also went off script to make some blunt statements. After criticizing Trump and his supporters on policy issues, the president added: “I know some of you tend to think he’s a macho man… but seriously, these are the kind of guys you want to slap.” your ass.”

Walz joined the actor Eva Longoria At a voting event in Las Vegas before the Minnesota governor’s events in Flagstaff and Tucson, Arizona. GOP vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance was also in Arizona and Nevada. first lady Jill Biden He was campaigning in Georgia and Hillary Clinton Appeared for Harris in Tampa, Florida.

Walz visited several homes in the Las Vegas suburbs. Him and Democratic Rep. Dina Titus I spoke with a couple who were excited and hopeful to see both politicians.

“We will win,” Walz said. “These final days will be momentous and edgy.”

Other voters expressed cautious optimism about the election results.

Marzella and Darrell Pittman He said they canceled their weekend plans after learning Harris would be in Atlanta and drove four hours from Alabama to attend.

Marzella thinks Harris will win, but Darrell is nervous because many of the young Black men in her life support Trump and are hesitant to vote for a woman for president.

“They’re tough and on the other side, they got a lot of our people to believe in that side, just like we believed in Kamala,” he said.

Until the election, “we have nothing on our minds other than voting and we are talking to everyone” Marzella Pittman in question.

Trump supporters were equally passionate about their candidate.

“Mr. Trump arrived with a garbage truck. I came with a garbage bag,” said Elmer Baber, who lives in Gastonia, North Carolina, and attended Trump’s rally. This was a reference to Trump getting into a garbage truck after Biden said Trump supporters were “garbage.” Biden later said he was referring to Trump’s rhetoric from a speaker at his recent event at Madison Square Garden.

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Reprinted with permission from the Associated Press.

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