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Trump and Harris prepare final pitch to US voters after sweeping battleground states | US News

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have just one last day left to win over voters in a US presidential election that is being decided in just a few states.

The Vice President spends all of Monday in Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state that offers 19 electoral votes and is expected to decide the outcome.

Their rally in Philadelphia will include: Lady Gaga And Oprah Winfrey.

In the meantime, Donald Trump is planning four rallies in three states: North Carolina, Pennsylvania and finally Michigan.

US election: colleges, swing states and how it all works

In an interview with NBC, Mr. Trump said former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would play a “big role” in his administration.

Mr Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic and nephew of former US President John F Kennedy, withdrew as an independent candidate before endorsing Mr Trump for the presidency.

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RFK Jr supported Donald Trump during the election campaign. Image: Reuters

Mr. Trump did not rule out a ban on certain vaccines as an option during his second term.

“Well, I’ll talk to him [Kennedy] and talk to other people and I'll make a decision, but he's a very talented guy and has strong views,” he told NBC.

On Friday, Mr. Kennedy said in a post

Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a speech during a campaign rally in East Lansing, Michigan, Nov. 3, 2024. (The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images)
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Kamala Harris gave a speech on Sunday in Michigan, a key swing state. Image: AP

According to the University of Florida's Election Lab, more than 77 million Americans have already cast their ballots ahead of election week. That's almost half of the 160 million votes cast in 2020.

But swing states, also called battleground or toss-up states, have a disproportionate influence in presidential elections because they switch between Republicans and Democrats.

That's why both candidates have focused their campaigns in recent days on Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan and Nevada.

Entering Monday, Ms. Harris largely stopped mentioning Mr. Trump — instead trying to focus on forward-looking issues.

At a rally in East Lansing, Michigan, she spoke to some of the state's Arab Americans and addressed concerns about U.S. support for Israel.

“As president, I will do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza,” she said.

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Analysis: Trump's opponents attack “script for dictatorship”.

They might have charged it: Donald Trump, for the absence of doubt.

His weekend tour of swing states was fraught with threats. The tone has shaped a campaign that now ends as it began.

On the rally stage, Trump spoke of a “demonic” Democratic Party and that “I don't mind” if journalists are shot.

He told a crowd in Lititz, Pennsylvania, that voting machines were being hacked and that he “should not have left” the White House after his term as president ended. It is a question of democracy – of the electoral process, which he rejected then and now.

So typical, according to Donald, so “whatever.” It is a political discourse as pantomime and it has become normal. Americans have heard it as often as Trump's opponents twisted the rhetoric with all their might over the last eight years.

They stylize it as a script for a dictatorship and present this choice as a choice between ruthlessness and responsibility.

Ultimately it will be a matter for the voters. To reject the warnings is to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Trump has enough supporters to remain competitive until the end – the rhetoric undoubtedly speaks for the vote.

How it resonates with those who are “persuadable” is an open question.

Donald Trump has ignored guidance from his advisers to focus on “winning” issues like the economy and immigration. He hopes there are enough voters who will listen to signs of authoritarianism and believe it won't become a reality after the election.

But the crucial question for voters is the one that could turn Trump's chances away: Why shouldn't it be?

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump reiterated that if elected he would usher in the “Golden Age of America,” but also doubled down on his allegations of voter fraud.

In Georgia, he outlined a second Trump term: “We are on the verge of the four greatest years in American history. It's going to be a little bit bad at times, and maybe especially in the beginning.” Mr. Trump didn't elaborate on what “bad” would be.

Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump attends a rally at the Atrium Health Amphitheater in Macon, Georgia, USA, November 3, 2024. REUTERS/Megan Varner
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Donald Trump campaigned in Georgia. Image: Reuters

The polls are close

The latest election poll from NBC, Sky News' US partner, showed Ms Harris and Mr Trump tied at 49%, although the margin of error is 3.1 points – a figure that leaves a significant degree of uncertainty about the outcome creates.

The race appears to be very close in Georgia. A recent New York Times poll puts Ms. Harris ahead by one point. In other polls, Trump is just ahead.

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Meanwhile, election officials in Georgia are pushing back against claims of “election interference” from Mr. Trump and his allies, which appear to be part of an effort to challenge the election if he loses.

Mr. Trump has also rejected the results of one Shock poll in Iowa suggesting Ms. Harris led him in the state by three points, calling it a “fake poll.”

Ms. Harris is in a closely contested race for Michigan's 15 electoral votes, but is currently polling just ahead of Mr. Trump in the battleground state.

Actor Robert De Niro walks past tailgaters during the
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Actor Robert De Niro on the campaign process for Kamala Harris. Image: Reuters

Stars support candidates

Hollywood actor Robert De Niro was in Pennsylvania, one of the key battleground states, this weekend searching for the vice president.

It is not the first time he has supported Ms Harris. In September, fellow actor Steve Buscemi joined him on a livestream to raise funds for Democrats.

Meanwhile, the vice president made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, where she appeared in a short sketch alongside Maya Rudolph.

Mr Trump secured high-profile endorsements from billionaire business mogul Elon Musk, who has spent at least $119 million (£91.5 million) to mobilize supporters to support the Republican candidate.

This evening, Sky News will have access to the most comprehensive polling and vote counting results from every state, county and population group across America via its US partner network NBC.

You can find out more about Sky News' coverage here.

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