US election: 5 days left – What polls say Harris and Trump are up to | News about the 2024 US election

Less than a week before Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump held rival events in the swing states of Wisconsin and North Carolina, where both are vying for undecided voters.

Harris urged Americans to “stop pointing fingers at each other” and sought to move past President Joe Biden's comments in which he appeared to call Donald Trump's supporters “trash.”

Meanwhile, Trump jumped into the passenger seat of a white garbage truck bearing his name to draw attention to Biden's comments.

More than 50 million Americans have voted so far, says the Election Lab at the University of Florida. This includes about 29.3 million in-person ballots and around 26 million mail-in ballots.

What are the latest updates from the surveys?

The latest polls from The Economist/YouGov and TIPP Insights, released Wednesday, suggest Harris has a slight lead of just one percentage point: 44 percent of voters support her, compared to 43 percent for Trump.

In a separate Washington Post-George Mason University poll also released Wednesday, voters expressed concerns about Trump's possible response if he were to lose, recalling the 2020 election, when his loss on Jan. 6 sparked unrest in the United States Capitol triggered.

Of more than 5,000 registered voters in battleground states, 57 percent said they were “very” or “somewhat” worried that Trump's supporters might turn violent if he loses. In contrast, only 31 percent believed Harris' supporters would respond similarly.

Additionally, Harris continues to lead nationally by about 1.4 points, according to FiveThirtyEight's National Poll Tracker as of Wednesday. However, this lead is within the margin of error, suggesting the race remains fiercely competitive.

In swing states – critical states that could determine the outcome of the election – the race is even closer. Key battleground states include Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin and Nevada.

According to FiveThirtyEight's daily poll tracker, Harris' slim lead in Michigan has grown from a 0.2-point lead to 1 point. She also has a slight lead in Nevada. In Wisconsin, their lead increased to 0.8 points.

On the other hand, Donald Trump has a slight lead in Pennsylvania, increasing slightly from 0.2 points to 0.4 points. His lead in North Carolina has shrunk from 1.3 points to 1.1 points.

Trump has gained ground in Arizona, where he currently leads Harris by 2.2 points, and in Georgia, where he has a 1.8-point lead.

In six of the seven swing states, the candidates are within two percentage points of each other, which is within the polls' margin of error and makes each state a tie just days before the election. Although Trump leads Arizona by 2.1 points, that difference is still very close to the three percentage point margin of error.

What was Kamala Harris up to on Wednesday?

Harris held rallies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

She emphasized unity and togetherness. “It’s not about scoring political points for me,” said the vice president. “I want to make progress.”

Regardless, the White House rushed to explain away President Biden's “garbage” gaffe.

The controversy began Tuesday when Biden joined a campaign call from the Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino. During the call, Biden criticized a comedian's remark at Sunday's Madison Square Garden rally in which Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

“The only trash I see out there is his supporters. “His demonization of Latinos is irresponsible and un-American,” Biden said. “It is completely contradictory to everything we have done and done.”

Before boarding Air Force Two for her flight to Raleigh, Harris told reporters that she disagreed with “any criticism of people based on their voting choices.”

“I will represent all Americans, even those who don’t vote for me,” she added.

While Harris demonstrated on Wednesday, she was confronted by pro-Palestinian protesters at all three of her events.

“We all want the war in Gaza to end and the hostages released, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that is heard and made known,” Harris said in Wisconsin. “And everyone has the right to be heard, but right now I’m speaking.”

Harris' supporters erupted over her comment, which referenced what she said to then-Vice President Mike Pence during their 2020 debate. The reaction largely drowned out the protesters.

What was Donald Trump up to on Wednesday?

Trump descended the steps of the Boeing 757 on which he was traveling and climbed into the passenger seat of a white garbage truck that also bore his name.

“How do you like my garbage truck?” Trump said, wearing an orange and yellow safety vest over his white shirt and red tie. “This is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.”

Trump and other Republicans faced backlash after Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of trash.”

The former president has distanced himself from the comedian but has not condemned his comment. He also said he had no need to apologize to Puerto Ricans.

“I don’t know anything about the comedian,” Trump said. “I don't know who he is. I've never seen him before. I heard he made a statement, but it was a statement he made. He's a comedian, what can I tell you? I don't know anything about him.” A spokesman for Trump said the joke did not reflect his views, but the former president did not address it himself.

“I love Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico loves me,” Trump said from the garbage truck.

He ended the brief appearance by telling reporters: “I hope you enjoyed this garbage truck. Thank you.”

“[The truck scene] has become quite a viral moment among Trump supporters,” Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro reported.

However, “voters here say they are simply disgusted by the rhetoric this campaign has become … and they are making their votes count,” she added.

“In places like here in Milwaukee, Harris actually has an advantage. But Trump is likely to find his supporters in the rural areas of the state.”

What's next for the Harris and Trump campaigns?

Harris will make stops in two swing states

The Democrat is traveling to the western United States tomorrow, where she will make campaign stops in two swing states. Harris will hold events in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as Phoenix, Arizona.

Mexican bands Mana and Los Tigres del Norte will perform at Harris' rallies in Las Vegas and Phoenix, respectively, ostensibly to shore up Latino support.

Singer Jennifer Lopez will also reportedly perform at Harris' rally in Las Vegas. On Sunday, the artist shared Harris' plan to expand Puerto Rico's economy and energy grid on her Instagram Story amid backlash over Hinchliffe's comments.

In the final days of her campaign, Harris has relied heavily on celebrities and artists, headlining events alongside notables such as Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and Maggie Rogers. Thursday's event comes just days before early voting ends in Nevada on Nov. 1.

According to a report in Rolling Stone magazine, Mexican music has been instrumental in mobilizing Latino voters in swing states. On Thursday, La Original Banda El Limon released a corrido dedicated to Harris entitled “Señora Presidenta.”

Trump travels to Nevada and New Mexico

Trump will be in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Henderson, Nevada; and Glendale, Arizona, where he will speak with Tucker Carlson at the Desert Island Arena.

Nevada and Arizona are two of the seven battleground states that will decide this election.

A recent poll released by CNN on Tuesday shows voters in these two crucial Southwest battlegrounds are undecided about who is the better choice.

Early voting is available in both states. The poll shows that 55 percent of likely voters in Arizona and 42 percent in Nevada have already cast their ballots. In both states, more registered Republicans have voted so far than registered Democrats.