NEW YORK: Former president Donald Trump rallies supporters on Sunday at a famous New York arena while Vice President Kamala Harris goes door-to-door in a key neighborhood in Philadelphia just over a week before one of the most polarized presidential elections in recent US history.
The rallies come just over a week before the November 5 election, which polls suggest could be a close call between the two contenders.
Trump’s event at the famed 20,000-seat venue, a longtime hallmark of New York’s cultural scene, garnered extensive attention in his home city, although New York is widely expected to remain a Democratic stronghold. The event drew an array of high-profile supporters, including billionaire Elon Musk, who has actively supported Trump’s campaign.
Meanwhile, Harris, 60, spent her day canvassing in Philadelphia, a key city in Pennsylvania, which is considered a key battleground in the upcoming election. Her stops included a Black church, a barbershop, and a Puerto Rican restaurant.
Sunday marked Harris’s 14th trip to Pennsylvania since she assumed the Democratic ticket’s top spot following President Joe Biden’s unexpected withdrawal in July.
In a CBS interview earlier Sunday, Harris emphasized the stakes of the election. “It is very important for the American people to see and think about who will be occupying the president’s house next year,” she said, adding that the choice before voters is clear: “It’s either going to be Donald Trump or it’s going to be me sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.”
Trump’s rally comes days after his former Chief of Staff John Kelly labeled him a “fascist,” an accusation Harris said she agreed with. Adding to the Democratic campaign’s momentum, former First Lady Michelle Obama voiced her support for Harris on Saturday, expressing her belief in Harris’s potential to make an “extraordinary president.”
However, Obama acknowledged the uphill battle Harris faces, saying, “My hope about Kamala is also accompanied by some genuine fear,” and criticized Trump’s record while questioning why the race remains tight.
Harris received a boost from a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll, which showed her regaining a slight lead among likely voters nationwide. Trump, meanwhile, gained support among Arab and Muslim leaders who joined him on stage at a Michigan rally Saturday.
With over 40 million early votes already cast, the decision is shaping up as a historic one. Americans are weighing the choice of electing the first female president or returning Trump to office, a candidate who remains the oldest contender in history and is running as a convicted felon after his recent legal battles.
At 78, Trump continues to dispute his 2020 election loss and is widely expected to contest the results if he loses again, which could further destabilize an already tense political climate. Trump’s unexpected 2016 victory in swing states Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, which Biden reclaimed in 2020, underscores the high stakes in those regions this election cycle.
Trump’s running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, defended Trump’s leadership record in a contentious CNN interview Sunday. “Kamala Harris doesn’t have as many people criticizing her because she doesn’t fire people who fail,” he said. “Donald Trump fires them, and I’d much rather have the president who fires people who screwed up.”
