Harris appeals to Christians and Arab Americans
Nov 04, 2024
Washington [US], November 4: Kamala Harris has made her closing pitch for the US presidency at a historically Black church and to Arab Americans in battleground Michigan, while her rival Donald Trump embraced violent rhetoric at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Opinion polls show the pair locked in a tight race, with Democrat Vice President Harris bolstered by strong support among women voters while Trump gains ground with Hispanic voters, especially men.
Voters overall view both candidates unfavourably, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling, but that has not dissuaded them from casting ballots.
Kamala Harris has made her closing pitch for the US presidency at a historically Black church and to Arab Americans in battleground Michigan, while her rival Donald Trump embraced violent rhetoric at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Opinion polls show the pair locked in a tight race, with Democrat Vice President Harris bolstered by strong support among women voters while Trump gains ground with Hispanic voters, especially men.
Voters overall view both candidates unfavourably, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling, but that has not dissuaded them from casting ballots.
Instead of mentioning Trump by name, Harris chose to highlight her opponent's record during her last Sunday on the campaign trail.
Trump, at his first of three rallies on Sunday, frequently abandoned his teleprompter with off-the-cuff remarks in which he denounced opinion polls showing movement for Harris.
He called Democrats a "demonic party," ridiculed Democratic President Joe Biden and talked about the high price of apples.
Trump, who survived an assassination attempt in July complained to supporters about gaps in the bulletproof glass surrounding him as he spoke and mused that an assassin would have to shoot through the news media to get him.
"To get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news and I don't mind that so much," said Trump, who has long criticised the media.
Last week he suggested prominent Republican critic, former congresswoman Liz Cheney, should face gunfire in combat over her hawkish foreign policy.
Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung issued a statement saying Trump's comment was not directed toward the media but rather, "It was about threats against him that were spurred on by dangerous rhetoric from Democrats".
Trump later spoke in Kinston, North Carolina, and in Macon, Georgia, where he seized on last week's jobs report that showed the US economy only produced 12,000 jobs last month.
He said the report showed the US was a "nation in decline" and warned of a repeat of the 1929 Great Depression with "people jumping off buildings".
Senior Harris campaign officials said her closing argument was designed to reach a narrow slice of undecided voters. That stood in contrast to Trump, who varied little from his standard speech aimed at inspiring his loyal supporters.
Near the end of his Pennsylvania speech, Trump - whose false claims that his 2020 loss was the result of fraud inspired his supporters' January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol - mused that he would have preferred not to have handed over power.
"I shouldn't have left. I mean, honestly, because we did so, we did so well," Trump said.
Despite warnings by officials that it could take days to ascertain the final outcome, Trump said the result should be announced on election night.
Democrats say they have plans in place should Trump try to prematurely claim victory.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation