Trump continues to use violent rhetoric while Harris appeals to Christians and Arab Americans

Democratic candidate Kamala Harris made her final appeal for the U.S. presidency on Sunday, addressing congregants at a historic Black church and connecting with Arab American voters in Michigan, a critical battleground state. Her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, meanwhile, used intense and sometimes violent language at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Polls show a close contest between the two, with Vice President Harris, 60, holding significant support among women voters, while former President Trump, 78, is making strides with Hispanic men.

Despite both candidates having high unfavorable ratings in general polling, Americans are turning out in significant numbers. Over 77 million people have already cast their votes before Election Day, according to data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab, nearing half the 160 million total votes from the 2020 election, a year with record voter turnout.

The balance of power in Congress will also be decided on Tuesday, with Republicans anticipated to gain control of the Senate and Democrats viewed as having a solid chance to win back the House from Republicans. Presidents lacking control over both chambers often struggle to pass major initiatives, a trend seen over the last decade.

"On Tuesday, we hold the power to shape the future of our nation for generations," Harris told the congregation at Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ in Detroit. "It’s not enough to only pray or talk; we must take action. Our choices, our service to our communities, and our commitment to democracy are the means to make real the plans we believe are in store for us.”

Harris later addressed Michigan’s Arab American community in East Lansing, acknowledging the toll of the Israel-Gaza conflict, along with the challenges facing Lebanon. “This year has been especially hard given the suffering and displacement in Gaza and Lebanon,” she said to applause. "As president, I would work tirelessly to bring peace to Gaza."

However, some Arab Americans have expressed frustration over Harris’s stance, feeling she hasn’t done enough to end the conflict or reduce aid to Israel. Trump, who visited Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday, the center of Michigan’s Arab American community, also pledged to resolve Middle Eastern conflicts but did not specify how.

Samah Noureddine, a Lebanese American from Grosse Ile near Detroit, said she voted for Biden in 2020 but is now supporting Green Party candidate Jill Stein. "Harris is backing a conflict we shouldn’t be funding, but I don’t think Trump is the answer either," she said. "I'm disappointed in both of them."

Trump’s Unscripted Moments

At a rally on Sunday, Trump often veered off-script, mocking Democrats and downplaying polls that show Harris gaining traction. He called Democrats a “demonic party,” disparaged President Joe Biden, and criticized rising apple prices.

Referring to a July incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed his ear, Trump expressed concern about gaps in the bulletproof glass at his rally and quipped that an assailant would have to shoot through the media to reach him. "To get me, they’d have to shoot through the fake news, and honestly, I wouldn’t mind that,” he joked, continuing his longstanding attacks on the press.

Following recent remarks suggesting former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney should face combat due to her foreign policy stances, Trump is now under investigation by an Arizona prosecutor. His campaign clarified that Trump’s comments referenced general threats against him, which they claim are incited by Democrats’ rhetoric.

Trump’s Sunday tour included rallies in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and an evening event in Georgia. Of the seven competitive states, Georgia and North Carolina carry significant weight, with each contributing 16 electoral votes toward the 270 needed for a candidate to secure the presidency. Pennsylvania, with 19 electoral votes, holds the most.

Closing his Pennsylvania address, Trump reflected on his 2020 loss, stating he “shouldn’t have left” office, arguing his administration had maintained “the safest border in history” at the time of his departure. He also asserted that election outcomes should be finalized on Election Night, despite election officials warning that results could take several days to finalize.

Democrats have prepared to counter any premature claims of victory that Trump may make this time around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paraphrasing text from "Reuters" all rights reserved by the original author.