With the US presidential election just 12 days away, Democratic candidate He Jinli and Republican candidate Trump (Donald Trump) are making their final push.
Trump traveled to the Southwest to attend rallies in Arizona and Nevada. He Jinli, on the other hand, held a rally yesterday in Georgia, along with former President Obama and renowned American rock singer Bruce Springsteen, who was at the same location as Trump.
Trump’s campaign has been working hard to attract young voters, especially young voters from minority groups.
To that end, American tech entrepreneur of South Asian descent Vivek Ramaswamy and US Senator Marco Rubio (of Cuban descent) spoke before the audience in Tempe where Trump was also present to deliver a speech.
Ramaswamy had previously competed with Trump for the Republican presidential nomination and endorsed Trump after withdrawing from the race in January. At the rally on Thursday, he praised Trump as “the George Washington of our time.”
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced on Thursday that they have launched a six-figure advertising campaign targeting Asian American voters in the United States. This campaign includes placing a billboard near the location where Trump gave a speech in Las Vegas.
The promotional activities in Nevada are of particular significance as Asian Americans make up 12% of the state’s voters.
The DNC mentioned that their “I Will Vote” campaign ads will run on 24 Asian American media outlets nationwide, with a strong focus on key markets in Florida, New York, and Texas. However, the DNC declined to reveal the specific cost of this campaign.
Exit polls from the 2020 election showed that 58% of Asian American voters supported Biden, while 40% supported Trump, although Trump’s support has increased this year.
Trump stated on Thursday that if he wins the presidential election, he will fire special prosecutor Jack Smith “within two seconds” of taking office.
During an interview with prominent American radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump was asked whether he would first pardon himself or terminate Smith’s position to eliminate the legal shadow hanging over him.
Trump responded: “That’s too easy. I’ll fire him within two seconds, he’d be one of the very first to go.”
Smith was appointed as special prosecutor by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022. He has filed two federal lawsuits against Trump, one accusing him of illegally retaining confidential documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. This lawsuit was dismissed by US Federal District Judge Aileen Cannon in July; however, Smith is appealing this decision. The other lawsuit accused Trump of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election, but the Supreme Court ruled that Trump had immunity for actions taken during his presidency.
While criticizing Smith, Trump praised Judge Cannon, saying, “We have a brave, outstanding judge in Florida. By the way, I don’t know her. I’ve never spoken to her. But we have a brave, outstanding judge.”
In the final stages of her campaign, He Jinli is mobilizing some of the most prominent Democratic political figures and supporters, hoping their influence will inspire her supporters to vote for her in the 2024 election.
On Thursday, He Jinli held a rally in Georgia which featured a performance by renowned rock star Bruce Springsteen, with former President Obama also in attendance.
On Friday, He Jinli will head to Houston, Texas for another rally.
According to three informed sources speaking to the Associated Press, the event will feature a appearance by Beyoncé. Beyoncé, a native of the Texas city, is one of the most globally renowned artists. Her 2016 song “Freedom” has become the theme song of He Jinli’s campaign.
A survey conducted by Ipsos, a global market research firm commissioned by the anti-radicalization non-profit organization With Honor in January, showed that 64% of Democrats have a positive view of Beyoncé, while only 32% of Republicans share the same view. Overall, 48% of Americans have a positive view of Beyoncé, while 33% have a negative view.
According to tracking data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab, as of Thursday night, over 30 million voters have cast their votes.
The data shows that over 13 million people voted in person, while over 17 million voted by mail.
Several states, including battleground states North Carolina and Georgia, set records for early voting on the first day of last week.