On the 21st (local time), 15 days before the U.S. presidential election, Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate former President Donald Trump engaged in an all-out campaign effort, focusing on key battleground states.
Vice President Harris undertook a demanding campaign trail across three swing states: Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. She was accompanied by Liz Cheney, the former Republican Congresswoman, to bolster her campaign. Harris and Cheney aimed to solidify the support in the northeastern Rust Belt, an area known as a “Blue Wall” for its Democratic leaning, which showed significant support for Trump after the 2016 election. This move was interpreted as a strategy to bring together moderate conservative and centrist Republican voters in the Rust Belt.
The articles explaining this event described the connection between Harris and former Vice President Dick Cheney, highlighting their shared concern over what they perceive as Trump’s “dangers” to democracy and foreign policy. Harris criticized Trump, arguing his election as president had grave consequences for democracy. She recalled former officials from the Trump administration condemning him as unsuitable and dangerous.
Meanwhile, Liz Cheney criticized Trump for not intervening during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, labeling his inaction as corrupt behavior. She also argued against Trump’s “America First” isolationist diplomacy, stating it was not only un-Republican but also perilous because the lack of alliances challenges and threatens America’s freedom and security.
Trump, maintaining his campaign in North Carolina, part of the southern Sun Belt, addressed regions hit hard by hurricanes. He criticized FEMA for allegedly reallocating funds meant for disaster recovery to support illegal immigrants, claiming this left insufficient resources for hurricane relief.
Trump further attacked Harris on sensitive issues concerning the religious community, particularly the inclusion of LGBT topics in public schools, describing Harris as a radical left-wing Marxist.
Polls from Washington Post and Schar School surveyed voters in seven battleground states, showing a tie of 47% support for both Harris and Trump. State-specific results demonstrated that Harris led slightly in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia, while Trump held a narrow lead in Arizona and North Carolina. Nevada showed an even split in voter support at 48% for each candidate.