October 15 :
At a dueling rally in Pennsylvania on October 14, presidential contenders Kamala Harris and Donald Trump ripped into each other over Trump's "unhinged" vow to use the US military against political opponents. Most Americans have already cast their ballots in the upcoming election, and the latest polls show a nationally close race with Pennsylvania and other closely contested swing states likely deciding the winner.
Harris has been using the Republican ex-president's escalating authoritarian rhetoric—which has led to charges that he is using fascist language—as a campaign issue as the race for the presidency heats up in the last stretch. Democratic Vice President Pence showed a film montage at a rally in Pennsylvania's most politically neutral county, Erie, in which Trump called for the imprisonment of political opponents and made repeated references to "the enemy from within."
Included in this was Trump's weekend appearance on Fox News, during which he implied that "sick people, radical left lunatics" might be "very easily handled" by the military according to his administration's policies. Trump, according to Harris, would punish those who have "insisted on following the law, instead of bending to his will," such as journalists, election officials, and judges.
"This is among the reasons I believe so strongly that a second Trump term would be a huge risk for America, and dangerous," said the senator."Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged, and he is out for unchecked power." Harris has attempted to portray the Republican as a dangerous choice who is more concerned with inciting fear than finding solutions, in contrast to Trump's attacks on her over programs implemented by the Biden administration, her race, and her intelligence.
J.D. Vance, Trump's running mate, has flat-out denied that Trump was defeated in the 2020 election, while the president has been vilifying his domestic political opponents as "scum" and boasting about his ties to international autocrats. Trump, who is the oldest major-party presidential candidate ever at 78 years old, has also, as is customary, refused to release his tax papers for the third consecutive election and has also rebuffed demands to make public his medical records.
With only three weeks to go, the race for the swing states—among which blue-collar Pennsylvania is the most prized—remains a close one between Trump and Harris. With Harris's support remaining flat at approximately 49% in polls since mid-September, concerns about her momentum have been rising.
Aides are especially worried about the decline in support from Black voters, who are an important part of the Democratic coalition and whose support was 15 points lower when Biden nearly lost to Trump in 2020. Last week, a poll conducted by the New York Times/Siena indicated that among Black voters, Harris had 78% support, compared to Democrats' about 90% in the last presidential election—with the majority of the decline occurring among male voters.
Last week, Harris and her running mate Tim Walz blasted Trump as "fascist to his core" at Walz's own campaign event in Wisconsin. This week, they'll be touring Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. She is anticipated to campaign heavily targeting Black male voters, and the typically Democratic Rust Belt states seem to be her best bet for the president.
During her speech in Erie, Harris bragged about her "opportunity agenda," which encompasses programmes to help African American males get training and small business loans and a health campaign to combat illnesses that affect the community at large. Notable Black media figures will be joining her this week for interviews, including "Breakfast Club" co-host Charlamagne Tha God on October 15 in Detroit for a town hall-style event.
During a town hall meeting outside of Philadelphia, Trump—who is now enjoying more support from Black voters than any Republican contender since Richard Nixon in 1960—promised to reduce energy costs for households. Trump responded, "we're going to do a lot of things" when asked about his plans to combat inflation. He then shifted the conversation to immigration and the backlash he received for bringing up the fictional serial murderer Hannibal Lecter during his campaign rallies.
"Our poll numbers have gone through the roof with Black and Hispanic, have gone through the roof," he said his enthusiastic audience, turning to his chances in November's election. I find that appealing.
