Trump and Harris in final election campaign as polls signal extremely close fight | US elections 2024

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris wrapped up the tumultuous 2024 campaign with competing rallies across Pennsylvania, offering contrasting visions – and moods – in the final hours before the polls began in an election that both candidates cast as an existential battle for America's future.

In Philadelphia, Harris ended a frantic run across the state at the steps of the art museum made famous by the film “Rocky” – “a tribute to those who start as underdogs and rise to victory” – where tens of thousands of supporters rallied for the star event gathered. packed event.

“Momentum is on our side,” Harris declared to loud roars from the crowd.

Earlier in the day, Harris rallied in Allentown, Scranton and Pittsburgh. She also made stops in Reading to visit a Puerto Rican restaurant with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and to join a canvass for her own presidential campaign. “I wanted to knock on the door!” Harris told the family and was stunned to see the vice president on her porch.

By contrast, Trump appeared hoarse and exhausted at times as he stormed the battleground states, holding rallies in Raleigh, North Carolina, two in Pennsylvania and a late-night event in Grand Rapids, Michigan – where he ended his two previous presidential campaigns. His comments were dark and dystopian, full of warnings that portrayed migrants as dangerous criminals and personal attacks on a number of high-profile Democratic women. He continues to boast about the size of his audience, but some of his closing events were reportedly plagued by empty seats and early exits of audience members during his long, winding speeches.

“So tonight we finish as we began, with optimism, energy and joy,” said Harris, who was introduced by Oprah Winfrey in Philadelphia. Behind her, the steps were lit blue and a large “President for All” banner was displayed. It all fit the mood of Harris' positive closing argument, an attempt to shift focus from the threat posed by the ex-president, whom she did not mention by name in her remarks or her final ad.

Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin performed at the event, while Oprah Winfrey brought ten first-time voters on stage to explain their reasons for supporting Harris. Winfrey delivered perhaps the sharpest warning of the evening, suggesting that a second Trump presidency would mean the end of free and fair elections in the United States.

“If we don’t show up tomorrow, it’s entirely possible we’ll never have the opportunity to cast a vote again.”

As the Harris campaign and its surrogates continue to appeal to female voters, Trump revived familiar insults against notable women, sometimes using violent language.

In North Carolina, he attacked former first lady Michelle Obama, saying, “She hit me the other day.” I wanted to tell my people: Can I hit her now? They said, 'Be quiet, sir.'” He also suggested that Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi should be jailed for tearing up a copy of his 2020 State of the Union address: “She's an evil, sick woman, she is crazy as a bed bug.”

And Trump repeated his line about Harris being a “low IQ person,” followed by an incoherent remark in which he appeared to imagine her struggling to sleep: “I don’t want her to say, you know, I “I had an idea last night while I was there.” “Sleeping, rolling over, tossing and turning, sweating,” he said without finishing the sentence.

Trump launched into his jibes as he continues to face criticism over his recent comment in which he suggested that Liz Cheney, the former GOP congresswoman and Harris supporter, should face guns “shooting at her “. Appearing on ABC's “The View” on Monday, Cheney said Tuesday: “Women are going to save the day.”

In North Carolina, Trump also threatened newly elected Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and suggested imposing tariffs on all Mexican goods “if they don't stop this onslaught of criminals and drugs” – part of his trade proposals that economists have warned could be costly for US consumers will increase significantly.

Around the same time, Harris demonstrated in Allentown, about 40 miles away, criticizing Trumpism without directly naming her opponent: “America is ready for a new path forward in which we see our fellow Americans not as enemies but as neighbors. “ We are ready for a president who understands that the true measure of a leader’s strength is not who you defeat. It depends on who you lift.”

Later, Trump's vice presidential nominee JD Vance drew loud applause at a rally in Georgia when he attacked Harris by bringing up Joe Biden's recent gaffe in which he appeared to call Trump supporters “trash.”

“In two days we will be taking out the trash in Washington, D.C., and the trash is called Kamala Harris,” the Ohio senator said in remarks that drew condemnation from Democrats and pundits.

The back-and-forth trash talk followed a comedian's racist joke at Trump's recent rally in New York in which he called Puerto Rico a “floating island of trash,” a comment that many Harris officials quoted on Monday , as they appealed to Puerto Rican voters in Pennsylvania.

At his evening rally in Pittsburgh, Trump returned to his obsession with crowds and made false claims about the low turnout at Harris' nearby rally, which had not yet begun. He then mocked Beyoncé, who campaigned for Harris in Texas: “Everyone expects a few songs, but there were no songs. There was no luck.” He added: “We don't need a star. I never had a star.”

The latest battle over voter turnout comes as Trump continues to make false claims of voter fraud, raising fears that he could challenge the results if Harris wins. In a call with reporters on Monday, the Harris campaign said it was prepared to counter any attempts by Trump to discredit the result.

“We have hundreds of lawyers across the country ready to protect the election results from any challenge that Trump might bring,” said Dana Remus, a senior campaign adviser and outside counsel. “This will not be the fastest process, but the law and the facts are on our side.”

She added: “Legal challenges should undermine confidence in the electoral process.” Remember that the number of cases does not equate to the number of legitimate concerns. In fact, it just shows how desperate they are becoming.”

There are also growing fears that political violence will escalate on Election Day and beyond, as misinformation and conspiracy theories are expected to spread during the counting. Election officials in a Nevada county said Monday that the threats had become so serious that polling places had installed “panic buttons” to automatically call 911 in emergencies.

At Trump's rally in Pittsburgh, Michael Barringer, a 55-year-old miner, expressed his disdain for undocumented immigrants by declaring his support for Trump: “You have millions and millions of illegal immigrants crossing the border. They don't speak English. They say no pledge of allegiance to the flag. They unload themselves on us. I’m all for legal immigration, but not for crossing the border illegally and taking American jobs.”

Elizabeth Slaby, 81, was first in line at Harris' rally in Allentown, arriving around 6 a.m. She said she had been a registered Republican for more than 50 years but changed her registration after the Jan. 6 attack: “I never thought I'd see a female president, and now I'm so, so excited.” “

Sam Levine Smith contributed reporting

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