Monday, December 23, 2024

‘The end of a journey’: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris hold final rallies on eve of presidential election

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Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are holding their final rallies to win over voters ahead of Tuesday’s presidential election.

The Republican candidate, 78, began his last day of electioneering on Monday with an event in Raleigh, North Carolina, in which he described the campaign’s conclusion as the “end of a journey”.

However, Mr Trump added a new one would soon begin “where we make America great again”.

The former president continued to take a swipe at his 60-year-old rival Ms Harris, claiming she would “open the borders” if she became president.

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Mr Trump also claimed he had been campaigning for 62 days in a row, adding: “I could be at the most beautiful beaches in the world right now, but I’m here because I’d rather be with you people.”

He also praised key backer and businessman Elon Musk, who has thrown his support behind Mr Trump on the campaign trail, describing him as an “amazing guy”.

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Donald Trump arrives at his rally in Raleigh. Pic: AP

Mr Trump is also holding rallies in Pennsylvania and later Michigan.

Meanwhile, the vice president is spending all of Monday in Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state that is expected to play a big part in the outcome of Tuesday’s contest.

Speaking in Scranton, Ms Harris shied away from mentioning her rival’s name, preferring instead to focus on her own campaign.

She urged her supporters to “enjoy this moment” and to knock on neighbours’ doors, “even if you’ve not met them”, to encourage them to vote.

“I thank you all for the time that you’ve taken out of your busy lives,” Ms Harris added.

Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event in Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S., November 4, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt
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Kamala Harris in Scranton on Monday. Pic: Reuters

Her rally later in Philadelphia is expected to include appearances from the likes of Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey.

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

Mr Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic and the nephew of former US president John F Kennedy, withdrew as an independent candidate before he endorsed Mr Trump for the presidency.

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a rally in Glendale, Arizona, U.S., August 23, 2024. REUTERS/Go Nakamura
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RFK Jr endorsed Donald Trump during the campaign. Pic: Reuters

Mr Trump also did not rule out banning certain vaccines as an option during his second term.

“Well, I’m going to talk to [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 on X that a Trump administration would push to ban fluoride in water on its first day in office, claiming it was “industrial waste” that leads to problems like cancer and other diseases.

Democratic presidential nominee and United States Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a speech during a campaign rally held in East Lansing, Michigan, on November 3, 2024. ( The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images )
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Kamala Harris delivered a speech in Michigan on Sunday, a key swing state. Pic: AP

More than 77 million Americans have already cast their vote ahead of election week, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab. That’s almost half the 160 million votes returned in 2020.

But swing states, also known as battleground or toss-up states, hold disproportionate sway in presidential elections because they switch between voting Republican and Democrat.

That is why both candidates have focused their campaigning in the final days in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan and Nevada.

Ms Harris has now mostly stopped mentioning Mr Trump – instead she tried to focus on forward-looking themes.

At a rally in East Lansing, Michigan, on Sunday she spoke to some of the state’s Arab-Americans, and addressed concerns about US support for Israel.

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

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Meanwhile, over the weekend Mr Trump repeated that he would bring about the “golden age of America” if elected, though he also reiterated his accusations of election fraud.

In Georgia, he depicted a second-term Trump administration: “We stand on the verge of the four greatest years in American history. It’ll be nasty a little bit at times, and maybe at the beginning in particular.” Mr Trump didn’t elaborate on what would be “nasty”.

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump attends a rally at Atrium Health Amphitheater in Macon, Georgia U.S., November 3, 2024. REUTERS/Megan Varner
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Donald Trump has been campaigning in Georgia. Pic: Reuters

Polling is tight

The final poll of the election from NBC, Sky News’ US partner, found Ms Harris and Mr Trump tied at 49% although the margin of error is 3.1 points – a figure that creates a significant level of uncertainty about the result.

In Georgia, the race appears very tight. A recent poll by the New York Times puts Ms Harris ahead by one point. Other polls have Mr Trump narrowly leading.

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

Mr Trump has rejected the findings of a shock survey in Iowa which suggested Ms Harris led him by three points in the state, calling it a “fake poll”.

Ms Harris is in a closely fought race for Michigan’s 15 Electoral College votes but is currently polling just ahead of Mr Trump in the battleground state.

On the night, Sky News will have access to the most comprehensive exit poll and vote-counting results from every state, county and demographic across America through its US-partner network NBC.

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

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