Harris and Trump Make Final Push in Tight Race as Election Day Nears

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump hit the campaign trail on Thursday, each aiming to sway undecided voters in the closely contested U.S. presidential election. Harris visited the swing state of Wisconsin, while Trump took to the airwaves, as both candidates face high-stakes pressure in the final stretch of the race.

With just days to go before Election Day, Harris holds a narrow lead over Trump in national polls and several key swing states. However, the race remains tight, with many polls falling within the margin of error. Both candidates are making last-ditch efforts to peel away support from their opponents, focusing on critical battlegrounds.

Harris spent the day campaigning in Wisconsin, a state that could be pivotal in deciding the election’s outcome. She targeted blue-collar voters in the manufacturing hub of La Crosse and the city of Green Bay, emphasizing her administration’s commitment to revitalizing the economy and creating jobs, told Business Recorder.

Meanwhile, Trump appeared on a supportive podcast, where he focused on his signature issues: immigration, the economy, and his grievances with the media. He also made headlines by blaming Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Zelensky is one of the greatest salesmen I’ve ever seen. Every time he comes in, we give him $100 billion. Who else got that kind of money in history?” Trump said on the PBD Podcast. He added, “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to help him… He should never have let that war start.”

Trump’s comments about Zelensky sparked outrage, as the former president has faced criticism for his favorable stance toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite Ukraine being a U.S. ally, Trump has repeatedly touted his “good relationship” with Putin, even during a meeting with Zelensky in September.

In contrast to the supportive podcast appearance, Trump faced a much tougher audience during a town hall with undecided Hispanic voters on Univision the previous day. Desperate to court Latino voters, Trump shifted his focus from his usual rally rhetoric of mass deportations to promoting legal immigration.

One voter, a California farm laborer, challenged Trump on who would perform agricultural work if the undocumented workforce was deported. Trump struggled to respond and instead pivoted to discussing foreign “terrorists” and “murderers” taking jobs from Black and Hispanic Americans.

Trump also faced questions about the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, where a mob of his supporters attempted to overturn the 2020 election. He downplayed the violent attack, calling it “a day of love.” Additionally, Trump was asked about spreading a racist conspiracy theory that Haitians in Ohio were eating local pets, to which he replied that he was “just saying what was reported.”

As Election Day nears, Latino voters remain a key demographic. An estimated 36 million Latinos are expected to be eligible to vote, particularly in battleground states like Arizona and Nevada. A recent Times/Siena College poll showed Harris leading Trump 56% to 37% among Hispanic voters.

Harris, too, has been ramping up her media appearances, most notably in a tough interview on Fox News. During the interview, Harris was pressed on topics such as immigration, Biden’s mental fitness, and her policy record. She faced pointed questions but managed to pivot, using the opportunity to criticize Trump as “unstable.”

Her most memorable moment came when she confronted Fox host Bret Baier for downplaying Trump’s threats to use the military against political opponents. The interview sparked polarized reactions, with Republicans calling it a disaster and Democrats hailing it as a victory.

As the candidates race toward Election Day, both Harris and Trump are making their final pitches to undecided voters, hoping to tip the balance in one of the most tightly contested elections in recent memory.